More people in Taiwan are opting for environmentally friendly ways of disposing of the dead, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) said yesterday, citing data that showed a sharp increase in the number of “green burials” from 2008 to 2017.
Green burials include cremation and environmentally friendly ways of disposing of the ashes — for example, by scattering the ashes at sea, in the woods, in flower fields, or in a government designated area.
On its Facebook page, the ministry described such sites as “open space townhouses” that are quiet and secluded.
Photo: CNA
In contrast, traditional columbarium pagodas, tombs and cemeteries are like apartment complexes that are prone to disturbances by neighbors, the ministry said.
Green burials increased from 669 in 2008 to 7,743 in 2017, data released by the ministry on Friday last week showed.
In 2017, the ashes of 1,447 cremated bodies were scattered at sea or in green fields, while 6,296 were buried under trees in public cemeteries, the data showed.
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