Natural burial in Belgium

In the Netherlands, natural burial has become an increasingly well-known phenomenon in recent years. We now have 14 large natural burial grounds, and we are not the only ones. Similar initiatives can be found in large numbers in Germany (128), England (270) and America (93). What about Belgium?

Legislation on natural burial in Belgium

Until now, developments in the field of natural burial in Belgium have been delayed by legislation. Despite the great interest, natural burial is not yet an officially recognized burial practice. This is partly because all cemeteries are owned by the municipality, and this type of initiative cannot be set up privately. Various cities and initiatives are working to change this. Since the end of 2016, it has been permitted to designate parts of a public area as a scattering site for ashes, or small burial sites for biodegradable urns. This is allowed only insofar that the public space is not disturbed. In the Greater Brussels region, there is an estimated majority in favour of adding Resomation and composting (Humusation) to the legislation, which means that it will soon be possible here.

Humusation

With the current legislation, natural burial in Belgium does not yet benefit the environment. Bodies must first be cremated before they can be buried. Fortunately, there is an initiative underway to make Humusation possible. Humusation is the conversion of the human body into fertile soil, an ecological process with which you return to the earth after death. The organization, consisting of 25 composting experts, has even written an entire book about this called 'Plaidoyer pour l'Humusation.' They guarantee the relevance of the project for public health and environmental protection. That is why they have started a petition to ensure that the law is changed.

Urn burials in Belgium

Because the demand for a memorial site in nature is increasing, more and more urn burial sites are being created in the Belgian countryside. On 25 March 2018, the first official Belgian natural burial site for biodegradable urns was opened in Zoersel. Seeds from native trees may be buried with them, so that a memorial forest will eventually be created. In addition, there are urn forests in Roeselare, Beveren, Beringen and Lommel, beautiful walking areas where urns are buried. A pilot project was also started on an area of ​​two hectares at the historic cemetery in Rekem. At the moment, the substantive and legal assessment framework has been completed, and work is being done to obtain the correct permits. It looks like the area will officially become a natural burial site for urns at the end of this year. Since December 2020, the Genk municipal council has also joined the proponents of this form of natural burial.

Meulewal

The nature in Meulewal in Eine is an example of an area that is being converted into a natural burial ground. For peace and serenity, Maulewal is being made car-free. This naturally requires a solution for visitors who have difficulty walking, but this has also been considered! The redevelopment plan provides for wheelchairs and comes with a system of handcarts. The hard paths that are currently there are being stripped, so that there is better water permeability. In this way, they want to gain in terms of environmental friendliness, but they are going one step further. They also want to make room for education in the nature reserve, by means of educational explanations about plants and trees, bees and insect hotels. They also want to open the farewell area for educational and cultural activities.

Park cemeteries

There are several places in Belgium that come close to the idea of ​​natural burial, such as the Schoonselhof park cemetery in Antwerp. This is in principle a regular cemetery, but with much more space and vegetation between the graves. The difference with most natural burial grounds is that the park cemeteries do use gravestones and do not allow nature to have as much free rein.

Memorial trees

Another alternative to the natural burial ground is the new concept of a meadow with memorial trees. In the Burreken nature reserve in Zegelsem, eight locations have been selected where multiple memorial trees can be planted. This can be a memorial tree, after the death of a loved one, but also a tree that symbolises future, at the birth of a child. In this way, stories and memories are cherished in a protected landscape. In addition to the meaning for the family, it also offers an addition to nature. As the organization itself says, 'an oak, for example, is home to hundreds of living organisms. From the great spotted woodpecker and squirrel to beetles and fungi'. There are various trees to choose from, the fluttering elm, the summer oak, the winter lime and the walnut. It is also possible to plant fruit trees in a number of places. The costs for this amount to €300, the majority of which is reinvested in the expansion and management of the area.