Nyack boutique focuses on eco-friendly burials
Dying To Bloom offers green options, from biodegradable coffins to ash pendants
A new Nyack business gives families the option of “going green” when it comes time to say goodbye to loved ones.
Dying to Bloom is a natural burial boutique, catering to people and their pets, that offers everything from biodegradable cardboard caskets to funeral products with an eco-friendly slant.
Owner Kerry Potter-Kotecki specializes in green burial options and funeral planning.
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Think of it as another step in the recycling process.
On Burd Street, the storefront could be mistaken for any other charming boutique. The merchandise includes handmade wooden items, keepsake pendants and silver-rimmed bottles behind glass; these are all funeral products that are earth-friendly or recycled.
Biodegradable caskets on display start at $350 for a cardboard version; handmade pine coffins from North Carolina cost $1,800 and a fully-lined sea grass casket costs $1,400.
New York is one of only eight states that requires a funeral director, but individuals can purchase their own coffin. "A funeral home has to legally accept any casket you bring in," she says.
If you decide on cremation, Dying to Bloom has a selection of urns that are handmade and vary from wood to paper products to scattering tubes for the ultimate send-off. Plus biodegradable fish pods for pet lovers grieving the loss of a pet.
Other items for sale include silver tear bottles from the Victorian era — for mourners. "A great gift for someone who has lost someone," says Potter-Kotecki. Or ash pendants so you can keep a piece of them everywhere you go.
Potter-Kotecki says the push to go green in the funeral business is being championed by scientists and entrepreneurs alike and has been gaining traction in America. She is behind an effort to increase green burial options in Rockland County.
"It started in Europe and it’s really growing here in the U.S.," she says. "The Green Burial Council certifies who fits the criteria for green burials and the number of cemeteries across the U.S. (offering green burial) has increased tremendously in the last few years. I started the green cemetery fund to help bring a land conservation green cemetery to the Rockland area."
She cites the aging population as a factor in changing the mindset of traditional burial. "In Rockland County, there are 60,000 people over 60 years old,” says Potter-Kotecki. “Our current burial practices aren’t sustainable."
A major component to going green is the elimination of embalming. The Funeral Consumers Alliance, the national organization that monitors the funeral industry, cites no public health benefit from embalming and there's no state requirement to provide it. "Many funeral homes are opening up to the green industry," Potter-Kotecki says.
Cost is another benefit: green burials can be easier on the wallet.
Potter-Kotecki says her boutique is meant to give people options for saying goodbye and encourages alternatives.
"Be on the lookout for other options and try to be open minded," she says.
Twitter: @krhudsonvalley
If you go
What: Dying to Bloom
Where: 48 Burd St., Suite 101, Nyack
Info: 845-535-1567, www.dyingtobloom.com