Culture
Death cafes, green burial, and the changing face of American mourning.
The Death Cafe Movement Hits 1,000 Events
What started as a quirky idea in a London basement has become a global phenomenon. We look at why Americans are gathering to talk about dying.
The Embalming Industry's Sustainability Problem
The United States buries an estimated 800,000 gallons of formaldehyde-based embalming fluid every year. As environmental regulation tightens globally, the American funeral industry's reliance on a known carcinogen faces an uncertain future.
FUNERAL HOME WORKERS: The Industry's Silent Mental Health Crisis
A national survey of funeral directors reveals alarming rates of burnout, substance abuse, and PTSD. With an aging workforce and few mental health resources tailored to deathcare, the industry faces a personnel crisis that threatens the quality of care grieving families receive.
THE GREEN BURIAL MOVEMENT: From Niche to Mainstream
The number of green burial grounds in the U.S. has tripled since 2019. What began as a fringe movement embraced by environmentalists and back-to-land practitioners is becoming a legitimate alternative — and the fastest-growing segment of the deathcare market.
HOW COVID CHANGED FUNERAL SERVICES — PERMANENTLY
The pandemic forced funeral homes to adopt technology overnight. Five years later, many of those emergency adaptations have become permanent features of American deathcare — changing not just how we mourn, but who gets to participate.