Diseño y elaboración de urnas funerarias biodegradables como propuesta sostenible ante la contaminación del sector funerario

Abstract

For centuries, burial has been the most common form of disposal of bodies. However, the fact that millions of people die in the world each year poses great health and environmental management challenges. Contrary to popular belief, cemeteries generate significant environmental problems, which if not controlled could cause irreversible damage to ecosystems and the health of nearby populations. The environmental problem is not limited to pollution, the exploitation of the forest resource is high, both due to the manufacture of coffins and the deforestation generated in the construction of cemeteries. Clearly there are environmental and space limitations to the disposal of human corpses through traditional forms of burial. For this reason, in the present study, biodegradable funeral urns were designed and produced with materials of natural origin, as a greener burial alternative, to reduce the generation of environmental impacts and exploitation of resources by the funeral sector. In addition, a statistical approximation was carried out on the feasibility of introducing this new green burial trend in the city of Quito.