„Dann eben in die Natur damit“ – Der neue Trend der Waldbestattung in Luxemburg: Geschichte, Beweggründe und ökologische Auswirkungen

For the environment, humans and their way of life have become one of the most
decisive factors of influence: their impact defines the geochronological era of the Anthropocene.
These manmade changes include one specific type of sediments, namely that of
human remains. In industrialized regions, the biologically degradable, organic matter of
the human body is often altered by medical implants and pharmaceutical residues. Sepulchral
practices may add other toxic substances. This article examines how the recent trend
towards woodland burials of cremated remains in Luxembourg is embedded in ecological
discourse and imagination, and asks whether it does provide an environment-friendly
alternative to traditional full-body inhumations.