Why does terramation matter?
There are lots of practical reasons terramation makes sense, which we will go through below. But the most important is that our last ever choice carries profound meaning, and terramation honours the end of our stories in a way that feels commensurate with the enormity of life itself. Meaningful rituals and living memorials give us hope and light when we need it most.
This is why our founder Aria started Evergrove. Her own experiences with loss left her feeling that surely we could do better. She had two questions:
- Why are burial and cremation our only widely available options?
- What might the end of our lives look like if it were designed around our people and planet first?
Terramation was the answer we arrived at after more than a year of research. We looked at how the end-of-life system works, at existing and emerging methods, and at how humans have cared for and honoured their people throughout ancient and modern times.
Four themes defined where we have come from and where we are headed. Terramation was the only method that addressed all four.
Ritual: Honouring bereavement, cultural and religious needs
Terramation aligns with many existing practices, and provides unique opportunities for emotional participation and meaning creation.
Space: Conserving cemetery space and spatial efficiency
Space efficient memorials help conserve cemetery space.
Hygiene: Containing public health hazards
Harmful pathogens and biohazards are eliminated.
Sustainability: Scaling nature positive practices
The highest ranking environmentally friendly method, with the potential to go beyond carbon neutrality and become regenerative.
Environmental impact
Terramation has the lowest total environmental impact of the six methods assessed.
-
Terramation
0.75 (approximately)
-
Natural burial (wooden marker)
1.2 (approximately)
-
Cremation, electric (scattered)
2.5 (approximately)
-
Aquamation (scattered)
3.4 (approximately)
-
Cremation, gas (scattered)
4.6 (approximately)
-
Burial (stone monument)
7.4 (approximately)
Single-point eco score, a weighted average across 18 impact categories. Lower is better. Figures indicative. Precise values on request.
This assessment excludes the ecological impact of the living memorial possibilities we are creating. It gives no credit for the soil.
General estimates exist for tree canopy sequestration and soil amendments. What has not been measured is the specific contribution of soil resulting from terramation and the memorials it supports.
Lifecycle assessments of that pathway are pending and we are building the research partnerships to close that gap.
Source: independent comparative lifecycle assessment, Hedgehog Company for Coöperatie DELA, 2024. Conducted to ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 using SimaPro, ReCiPe-2016 and Ecoinvent v3.8. Panel reviewed under ISO 14044 and ISO 14071. The study gives no credit for the soil. Australia has no domestic lifecycle assessment of any disposition method; commissioning one is work we have committed to.