Most people don’t think about the impact their death will have, let alone the environmental impact their body will have after they die. The provision of funeral and burial services is another industry that is making changes to go green and provide customers with choices that will reduce their environmental impact after they’re gone.

Here are some ways funeral services and cemeteries are going green:

* Using recycled paper products: Funeral services are increasingly using recycled paper for service cards and memorial books.

* Choosing organic flowers: Flowers grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertiliser have less environmental impacts.

* Supporting green cemeteries: Some cemeteries are being returned to a natural state to provide habit for flora and fauna and reduce the use of herbicides and irrigation which are extensively used in traditional cemeteries.

* Making people aware that they have the choice whether to be embalmed: In most cases there is no legal requirement for embalming which avoids toxic chemicals including formaldehyde, methanol and ethanol being leached into nearby soils.

* Having people buried in biodegradable caskets or burial shrouds.

Through reducing both the environmental impacts of the business operations and the impact of burial options, the industry not only reduces its environmental impact but also extends the range of choices available in the market. In 2010 the Green Burial Council will put in place voluntary standards for burial grounds, funeral service providers, products and crematoriums which will make it easier for people to choose green end of life options. People can support the industry’s move to go green by being aware of their options and choosing to support businesses that implement environmentally friendly practices.

The art of wine making is well known for requiring great skill with wine connoisseurs judging every aspect of the wine from appearance to flavour.  Increasingly wine lovers are considering another characteristic – whether the wine was produced sustainably with minimal environmental impacts.

Being dependent on the natural environment to create a good quality product, the wine industry is recognising the importance of implementing sustainable practices.  Combined with consumer demand for environmentally friendly products and recognition that green business practices can result in cost saving and operational efficiency and the argument for wineries to implement green business practices is a strong one.

Of particular importance to wine makers is ensuring the land used for grape growing is managed sustainably.  Reducing the use of chemicals on the land and avoiding over irrigation improves the long term viability of the land in turn increasing its market value.  Often cost savings are realised through the reduced use of pesticides, herbicides and water.   Further cost savings can be realised in the wine making process through capturing, treating and reusing water and using organic waste as fertiliser for vines.

The packaging and transport of wines is an area of considerable cost to the industry and has a significant impact on the environment.  Innovations in wine packaging has led to the use of both thinner glass bottles and plastic bottles for everyday wines designed to be consumed in the short term rather than being cellared for years.   A United States company, Envino, is producing plastic wine bottles which weigh less and take up less space than traditional glass bottles reducing the environmental impacts of transportation.  A number of wineries are trying out these innovations, particularly with commercial clients such as restaurants, to gage the acceptance of these new forms of packaging.

Along with the spread of sustainable viticulture, some wineries are also looking at green construction to reduce their environmental footprint.   From straw bale construction to the use of local recycled materials, many wine makers are to varying degrees making their new construction green with a number of wineries now certified under the US Green Building Council’s LEED program.  These new buildings are designed with energy efficiency in mind and use renewable energy technologies such as solar panels to meet energy needs.  This year it was a winery that took out the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Awards in the small to medium business category.  Yealands Estate in Marlborough which is also certified as carbon neutral was noted for its installation of solar panels, insulated tanks and wind-powered electricity generators.

There are an extensive range of practices a winery can implement to reduce its environmental footprint.  Aside from potential cost savings, wineries that look to go green now are better placed to meet the increased consumer demand for green products and may avoid future regulatory problems from increasing controls placed on the use of natural resources.