Caring for death: what can we decide about burial?

BarcelonaWhen a loved one dies, in addition to facing the loss, we must make decisions about which we often lack sufficient information. What options and rights do we have when preparing a funeral? If death is the only inevitable and universal fact, why don't we have this sovereignty? "Death used to be part of everyday life. You used to see obituaries on the street, and now it no longer occupies a public space. Because it's taboo, we've lost all knowledge, and a distancing has occurred," points out Alba Calvo, from the Som Provisionals cooperative, which advocates precisely for this pairing of sovereignty and death. Núria Puigdevall, another of its members, attributes it to urgency. "Death is seen as a problem for capitalism because it's an unproductive situation," and therefore, "the faster it happens, the sooner we can go back to work." They argue that, nevertheless, we can adapt by taking care of the moment of dying, and this involves making prior plans and including death within life. So, beyond cremation or burial, what can we decide and what can't we?

Death Doulas

There is a figure we can turn to if we don't know how to proceed. They are death doulas, and they provide emotional support at the end of life, as well as funeral advice. "It bothers us that funeral homes are for profit when it's a service we all have to go through. Our dream would be for them to be public and affordable, so we wouldn't have to make this financial burden and wouldn't have to endure the emotional blackmail they use to sell you a coffin that seems more expensive than the person you'd like," explains Puigdevall, who adds that discontent is a common feeling with the funeral industry, dominated by large groups in Catalonia, where there are only three municipal funeral homes and one non-profit one. In their outreach work, they inform families of their rights. Many don't know they can choose their funeral home; Although direct cremation exists, a more affordable service where they come to collect the body and return the ashes, without any further formalities. They also don't know that "even if they offer a service package, the only mandatory thing is the transport of the body and the coffin": "The rest can be done in many ways at no extra cost." This is the case with the wake, which can be organized at home or in a private space with the body present up to 48 hours after the death certificate; or without the body present, later on; two options that can give the family privacy and time. As death doulas, they also take care of organizing these wakes or funeral ceremonies and the ritual of washing the body. "We're not inventing anything. It's what our grandmothers did. We offer this service, but if a family member wants to do it themselves, that's perfectly fine. We encourage people to reclaim this self-sufficiency in dying," adds Puigdevall.

A burial for one and a half euros

A simple burial costs the state an average of €3,700, according to 2023 data from the OCU (Spanish Consumers' Organization), while in Girona it exceeded €4,000. Data for Barcelona is unavailable since 2021, when it was among the most expensive cities, with prices reaching over €5,000. Furthermore, Spain applies a 21% VAT, whereas in most countries funeral services are exempt or have a reduced VAT rate as a basic necessity. If a funeral insurance policy is in place, the cost can quadruple. For this reason, the OCU recommends against taking out such policies, and Som Provisionals reminds people that unspent funds can be claimed if they are reported before the final disposition of the remains.

The residents of the combative Can Deu neighborhood in Sabadell have been organizing for forty years against what they consider an abusive situation through the Funeraria Can Deu consumer cooperative. With this cooperative, they have demonstrated that it is possible to pay for a funeral if each member contributes one euro and fifty cents each time one of their more than 2,900 members dies. "The deceased and those listed on their policy don't pay because seeing their name on the receipt at that time is upsetting," explains Vice President Vanessa Nofuentes. People and transparency are the main values of this initiative, adds President Ester Lopera, who supports families during this critical time: "A kind word is appreciated in a difficult moment." Treasurer Ángeles Úbeda says they have a surplus and that new residents continue to join, but they don't intend to expand. Instead, they want the model to be replicated in other neighborhoods and municipalities.

Dying ecologically

We not only pollute while alive, but we will continue to emit pollutants until the day we are buried. According to a report by the Fondation Services Funeraires – Ville de Paris, burial in a concrete tomb or niche generates 833 kilograms of CO₂, while a natural burial, that is, burial directly in the ground as Muslims do, would reduce emissions to 182 kilograms of CO₂. This is the figure advocated by Jordi Miralles, a biologist and president of the Association for Natural Burial. In fact, Spanish legislation states that burial must take place "on permeable ground," but the cemeteries we know are concrete sprawls, while in the rest of Europe they are mostly earthen. Therefore, a natural burial is a legal option as long as there is space: "They are all paved over, and since we are so afraid that death will be unhygienic, no cemetery dares to do it," he laments.

The organization promotes more environmentally friendly options such as cardboard coffins, which are not found in most funeral homes due to the low profit margin. It also promotes human composting, which is already practiced in the United States and Germany. The process involves surrounding the body with a preparation of plant material and applying oxygen. The result is humus that has the added value of fertility.

When making decisions, time is a key factor for Miralles. Our legislation establishes a maximum limit of 48 hours for the burial of a body, while in countries like the United Kingdom and France it is done within 5 to 7 days, and in Germany it can take up to 14 days. "If there is more time, we can do it better. I am absolutely certain that this is why there are so many problems with grief in Spain. In Sweden, by age 50, people are already decluttering what they have accumulated, and they have a word for it [Döstädning“,” the biologist asserts, noting that putrefaction doesn’t begin until three or four days have passed. He explains the process matter-of-factly: “Death, like birth, is an amazing biological process, with the difference that this one happens outside.”