Promotion of green burial in Taiwan

• In Hong Kong, cremation is the mainstream mode of burial arrangements, accounting for over 90% in terms of handling bodies of the deceased.^{1See GovHK (2021).} As the local population is ageing fast, the demand for funeral facilities, especially niches in columbaria, is on the rise. Given the shortage of land resources and lengthy turnover of niches, reliance on the provision of new niches for disposal of cremated ashes is considered not sustainable in the long run. Against this, the Government has been promoting green burial as a more environmentally-friendly and sustainable way of handling human ashes.^{2See Green Burial Website (2022b) and Legislative Council Secretariat (2021).} While the proportion of death cases handled with green burial in Hong Kong went up noticeably from 11.5% to 15.2% during 2016-2020, Legislative Council Members considered that there is room to widen the adoption and have called on the Government to improve the green burial facilities and strengthen its promotional efforts.^{3See Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (2020, 2021c) and Legislative Council Secretariat (2021).}

• Green burial is seen in many places around the globe.^{4In some western places, green burial refers to specific environmentally-friendly arrangement in respect of coffin burial. For the purpose of this Essentials piece, green burial refers to the handling of human ashes in an environmentally-friendly and sustainable way.} In particular, urban area in Taiwan, which is similar to Hong Kong in terms of funeral customs and limited land resources, has been promoting green burial since 2001. Among the cities in Taiwan, the Taipei City ("Taipei") runs the first burial grounds for burying human ashes in soil with trees or flowers planted (known as tree/flower burial (樹/花葬)). Complemented by financial incentives and a variety of effective promotional activities, Taipei has achieved an outstanding result with around three in 10 deceased persons using green burial in 2020.^{5See 台北市民政局(2022) and Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2022c).} This issue of Essentials reviews the initiatives for green burial and its adoption in Hong Kong, followed by a discussion on the green burial service and promotion in Taipei.

• In Hong Kong, cremation and public burial services are provided by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department ("FEHD"). With cremation being the most common method of handling bodies of the deceased, the prevailing practice after cremation is to deposit the ashes in public or private columbaria. Between 2010 and 2020, the annual number of deaths increased from 42 700 to 50 700 (versus the current annual supply of new public niches at 45 800^{6According to FEHD, new supply of public niches amounts to some 45 800 on average annually from 2019 to 2024. See Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (2021e).}), and is forecast to climb to 59 800 in 2030 and further to 75 500 in 2040, leading to an ever-increasing demand for columbarium facilities.^{7See Census and Statistics Department (2020), Centre for Health Protection (2021) and GovHK (2021).} To address the challenges, the Government has been pursuing a three-pronged strategy, which includes (a) increasing the supply of public niches; (b) promoting the sustainable development of the private columbaria sector through implementing a regulatory framework;^{8The operation of the private columbaria sector is regulated by the Private Columbaria Ordinance (Cap. 630) ("Ordinance"), which came into effect in June 2017. Under the Ordinance, unless a grace period is applicable to that private columbarium, a person is required to obtain a specified instrument (i.e. a licence, an exemption or a temporary suspension of liability) in order to operate, manage or in any other way have control of a private columbarium. Forecast of new supply of niches by service providers under the Ordinance is not available. However, certain private permanent cemeteries operated by the Board of Management of the Chinese Permanent Cemeteries (not covered by the Ordinance but under the Private Cemeteries Regulation (Cap. 132BF)) will provide about 89 000 new niches between 2021 and 2024. See Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (2021b), GovHK (2021) and Private Columbaria Licensing Board (2021).} and (c) promoting green burial.

• At present, green burial can be conducted in the following two ways free of charge:
  • (a)
    Scattering in Gardens of Remembrance ("GoRs"): FEHD manages 13 GoRs of size ranging from as small as 10 square metres ("m²") to 4 800 m², located in its nine public columbaria.^{9The most-recently built and largest GoR managed by FEHD is the one at the Tuen Mun Tsang Tsui Columbarium which was opened in 2021 with an area of 4 800 m2. See Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (2021d) and GovHK (2015).} Upon approval by FEHD, applicants can perform memorial rituals and scatter cremated ashes in GoRs themselves or by the staff of FEHD. Applicants are allowed to mount a commemorative plaque displaying particulars and photo of the deceased on the dedicated wall of GoRs after paying a low administration fee.^{10See Finance Committee (2020) and Green Burial Website (2022c).} There are two private cemeteries that have made available GoRs as well;^{11One is in the Junk Bay Chinese Permanent Cemetery managed by the Board of Management of the Chinese Permanent Cemeteries and the other is in the Pokfulam Chinese Christian Cemetery managed by the Hong Kong Chinese Christian Churches Union. See Legislative Council Secretariat (2021).} and
  • (b)
    Scattering at sea: members of the public can apply to FEHD for scattering cremated human ashes in any one of the three designated areas in Hong Kong waters, using the free ferry service provided by FEHD weekly or privately arranged boats. A funeral director will be on board to help hold a memorial ceremony if such request arises, and facilities for performing different religious rituals are also offered. Every year around the grave-sweeping seasons, FEHD also provides free memorial sailings for the bereaved families concerned to pay tribute to the deceased in the vicinity where ashes were scattered. About 13% of green burial cases belonged to sea scattering during 2016-2020 while the rest adopted scattering in GoRs.^{12See Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (2020, 2021c) and Green Burial Website (2022d).}

• Considering that under green burial, traditional practices of paying respect to the deceased may not best fit descendants as the ashes is not kept in any particular place, FEHD has launched the Internet Memorial Service ("IMS") as an alternative and sustainable form of commemoration. By accessing a free memorial website via a computer or IMS mobile application, users can create memorial webpages for their departed loved ones, so relatives and friends can pay tribute by posting messages and photos as well as "online offerings" (e.g. flowers).^{13In the webpage (www.memorial.gov.hk), users can write the deceased's biography and profile and upload relevant photographs and videos. As at August 2021, IMS has accumulated about 20 200 memorial pages and over 5.94 million hit counts. See Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (2015, 2021c).} To encourage the public to adopt digital worshipping, FEHD has installed electronic kiosks at a few GoRs for visitors to leave messages on-site.^{14The electronic kiosks are installed at the GoRs in Diamond Hill and Cape Collison. Similar facilities will be installed at the GoR in Sha Tin. See Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (2021c) and Green Burial Website (2022a).}

• Recently, FEHD has also set up the Green Burial Central Register ("GBCR") to enable the public to register their wish to use green burial after passing away. Deceased persons registered in GBCR will be identified by the computer system upon cremation booking by their family members. FEHD will then contact the bereaved family and provide appropriate assistance. As at August 2021, more than 7 000 people have registered their wish for green burial. According to FEHD, it has contacted the descendants of 243 departed persons previously registered in GBCR, and found that 62% of these departed persons eventually had green burial.^{15See Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (2021c).}

• Changes in social norms and conventions usually take time and public perception of burial arrangement is no exception. In its public education and promotion, FEHD has been trying to impress upon the public that green burial is consistent with the concepts of "life regeneration" (生生不息) and "returning to nature" (回歸自然).^{16See Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (2021a) and Green Burial Website (2022b).} FEHD organizes talks and/or programmes not only for elderly but also secondary school and tertiary students to get them familiar with green burial from a young age.^{17Talks are delivered at elderly centres/homes, secondary schools, tertiary institutions and for non-government organizations providing advisory services to the elderly on after-death arrangement. Particularly for youth, there were writing and video competitions with the winning works uploaded to the green burial thematic website. See Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (2021c) and Green Burial Website (2021).} To let people know more about the actual arrangement, FEHD has specifically organized visits for members of the public to its ferry service for scattering ashes at sea^{18Due to COVID-19 pandemic, public visits to the ferry service have been suspended until further notice. See Green Burial Website (2022d).} and guided tours to GoR.^{19The service is on a trial basis. Only guided tours to the Tsang Tsui GoR are provided and such tours will be extended to other GoRs gradually. See Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (2021c).} More recently, FEHD has co-organized with non-government organizations a virtual run event themed green burial. Participants were required to plan their own running routes passing at least five FEHD's GoRs, thereby enabling them to learn more about green burial services and facilities.^{20See Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (2021c) and Heart-to-Heart Life Education Foundation Limited (心繫心生命教育基金有限公司) (2021).}

• Partly attributable to the Government's initiatives and promotion, green burial had gradually gained acceptance by the public. Green burial cases handled by FEHD have grown markedly, with the usage rate (in terms of share of green burial cases in overall deaths) growing from 4.6% to 14.7% during 2010-2019. When counting also the cases handled by private cemeteries, the overall usage rate of green burial stood at 16.2% in 2019 (Figure 1), though dropped slightly to 15.2% in 2020 probably due to the pandemic situation.^{21See Centre for Health Protection (2021), Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (2017, 2020, 2021c) and Food and Health Bureau (2013, 2014).} This notwithstanding, to boost a higher usage rate of green burial, a number of suggestions were put forward by the Legislative Council Members over the past few years, including (a) exploring the option of constructing GoRs in country parks or green belt sites in a bid to build a more scenic and tranquil environment so more people would consider the desirability of green burial; (b) offering financial incentives to bereaved families for using green burial; and (c) introducing more green burial options.^{22More diversified forms of green burial such as burying ashes in soil with trees planted and transforming ashes into synthetic diamond or ornament were suggested with a view to offering wider choices to the public. See Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene (2018, 2020) and Legislative Council Secretariat (2021).}
  
  
  Figure 1 – Number of green burial cases and its usage rate, 2010-2020
  
  Note: Statistics regarding private cemeteries before 2016 are not available.

  Sources: Centre for Health Protection (2021), Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (2017, 2020, 2021c) and Food and Health Bureau (2013, 2014).

• In 2001, the Taiwan authorities outlined the vision for future development to establish Taiwan as a "green silicon island" (綠色矽島) which emphasized not only economic benefits and social impact, but also environmental protection.^{23See 教育部重編中文辭典修訂本(2015).} Against this background, the Taiwan authorities commenced promoting green burial, or locally known as eco-friendly natural burial (環保自然葬), in the same year.^{24The Mortuary Service Administration Act (殯葬管理條例) enacted in 2002 provides, inter alia, for the forms of green burial arrangement. As defined in the Act, green burial provided in Taiwan is classified as follows: (a) burying ashes in the soil with trees or flowers planted; (b) scattering of ashes at sea; and (c) scattering of ashes in public cemeteries or designated locations (e.g. parks, forests). The adoption may vary from city to city. See 台灣殯葬資訊入口網(2021) and 林彙庭(2018).} Specifically, as a metropolitan area of Taiwan with scarce land resources, Taipei has been promoting green burial in a proactive manner and is the pioneer in developing green burial facilities and related initiatives. Its usage rate of green burial reached 30.9% in 2020 and constituted nearly two-fifths (39% in 2019) of all green burial cases across Taiwan.^{25See 台北市民政局(2022), Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2022c), 台灣統計資訊網(2021) and 林怡婷(2008).}

• In Taipei, promotion and provision of green burial services are the responsibilities of the Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處, "TMSO"). There are two kinds of green burial services in Taipei: (a) burying ashes in soil with trees or flowers planted; and (b) scattering of ashes at sea. As a financial incentive, charges for body cremation will be waived by TMSO if bereaved families choose to adopt tree/flower or sea burial.^{26See Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2017a).} While both forms could be considered "returning to nature", tree/flower burial has long been the most prevalent green burial arrangement making up over 90% of green burial cases in Taipei, which is believed to be due to the traditional concept of "bringing peace to the deceased through ground burial" (入土為安).^{27See NOWnews (今日新聞) (2018) and Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2022c)., 28Although tree/flower burial is more popular than sea burial, the Taipei authority has in recent years strengthened the sea scattering service by giving the bereaved families memorial cards marked with the latitude and longitude of the location of ash scattering. See Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2018a).} The features of tree/flower burial are as follows:
  • (a)
    Tree/flower burial with a scenic environment: green burial applications are made to TMSO, which will arrange the burial service free of charge. The ashes, after undergoing grinding, are buried in a tree/flower burial spot (樹/花葬穴) in a burial ground (葬區) with the help of a burial ground keeper, alongside a memorial ritual if any.^{29Pursuant to the Mortuary Service Administration Act that applies to all cities across Taiwan, tree/flower burial is defined as a form of burial in which "the cremated ashes are mixed with soil and buried under floral plants or trees in public grave yards; or buried around the root part of a tree". For the entire process of tree/flower burial in Taipei, please see Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2022a).} Since there are trees and/or flowers around, the ashes filled in the burial spot are expected to decompose naturally, and in general after half to one year the burial spot will be reused;^{30See Central News Agency (中央通訊社) (2021) and Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2022b).}

    Unlike typical funerial facilities, no gravestones nor commemorative plaques are erected in these burial grounds. Instead, the Taipei authorities have made them more like a scenery park. For example, there are different zones with each zone characterized by specific species of trees or flowers blossoming in turn throughout the year. These burial grounds will even be decorated during major festivals (e.g. Christmas) to create a pleasant atmosphere.^{31See Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2017b) and 台灣殯葬資訊入口網(2020).} The park-like settings have helped create a more favourable image about green burial, and reportedly the park has become a leisure place for the public to visit;^{32See Central News Agency (中央通訊社) (2021).}
  • (b)
    Expanding size and capacity: TMSO operated the first trial tree burial ground in Taipei, which was also the first in Taiwan, in 2003 and opened up a formal tree burial ground of 12 000 m² with 7 900 tree burial spots, namely Yongai Garden (詠愛園) in 2007. Following the opening of a new tree burial ground (落羽之丘) next to Yongai Garden in 2021, the total area of tree burial grounds has now increased to 19 400 m², providing a total tree burial spots of 15 900. Since 2013, TMSO has also been running Taiwan's first flower burial ground of 16 000 m² with 12 360 flower burial spots which is located in Yangmingshan (陽明山) and named Zhenshan Garden (臻善園);^{33See Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2022b, 2022d) and 台灣殯葬資訊入口網(2020).} and
  • (c)
    Ash scattering for pets: due to closer relationship between humans and pets nowadays, there has been increasing demand for burial services for pets as well. Against this, burial grounds for scattering pets' ashes are deliberately delineated adjacent to Yongai Garden and Zhenshan Garden. This free burial service has been welcomed by pet owners and may have raised their awareness of or interest in human green burial.^{34The delineated burial grounds next to Yongai Garden and Zhenshan Garden came on stream in 2007 and 2021 respectively with the former being the first of its kind in Taiwan. See Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2022e) and 林怡婷(2008).} Between 2010 and 2020, the yearly number of deceased pets having ash scattering went up by 1.5 times from 487 to 1 195.^{35See Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2022c).}

• Apart from the above, with the aim of expediting the turnover of niches of public columbaria and encouraging the public to support green burial, a modest cash incentive of NT$10,000-NT$20,000 (HK$2,800-HK$5,600) is given to those who withdraw the deceased's ashes from the public columbaria and re-handle them using green burial.^{36See Laws &: Regulations Database of Taipei City (台北市法規查詢系統) (2015).} However, the public response to the offer appears far from strong. Between 2016 and 2020, TMSO just received a total of 394 applications to make the switch.^{37The figure refers to the number of applicants who have been awarded the cash incentives. See Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2022c).}

• Like Hong Kong, Taipei has in place a central register for people to register their wish. Efforts are also made to promote green burial on various fronts. For example, besides public awareness programmes like lucky draw activities^{38Lucky draw activities were organized to invite the public to write short article on green burial. Winners of the first prize received a coupon worth NT$1,000 (HK$280) and some of their articles are posted on the green burial thematic website of TMSO. See Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2018b).} and burial ground naming contest to promote awareness of green burials of the general public, TMSO has also invited speakers from the religious sector to speak on green burial from the religious perspective in the hope that more adherents will embrace green burial after their specific concerns have been addressed.^{39See Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2007, 2015).} Moreover, to reduce the resistance of the funeral trade to green burial, green burial has been included as part of the curriculum of the annual study programme for funeral practitioners organized by TMSO, so that practitioners can learn more about green burial and changes in funeral service mode arising from green burial and how their businesses should and could adapt accordingly.^{40TMSO has been offering training to the funeral trade on a yearly basis. The curriculum covered the development of burial customs and culture, burial policies, customer protection and dispute handling. See Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2014, 2017c).}

• Due in part to TMSO's efforts on promotion of green burial, the public tend to be more open-minded about burial arrangement and less reluctant to discuss their after-death arrangement. Heightened environmental awareness and endorsement from celebrities (e.g. religious figures, performance artists) opting for green burial might also have prompted more individuals to consider simplifying their funeral and choose green burial.^{41See Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2016), 台灣殯葬資訊入口網(2013) and Liberty Times Net (自由時報) (2020).} During 2010-2020, Taipei has seen a significant increase in the number of green burial cases, from 622 to 5 317, representing a surge in usage rate from 4.0% to 30.9% in the city.^{42See 台北市民政局(2022) and Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2022c).} As per a survey conducted by TMSO in 2021, 67% of respondents said that they supported the Taipei authority's efforts in promoting green burial and would also consider using such arrangements themselves.^{43The respondents of the survey were drawn from members of the public who had visited TMSO between January and mid-August 2021 to handle funeral matters for their deceased family members. See Taipei Mortuary Services Office (台北市殯葬管理處) (2021).}

• Hong Kong faces the challenge of growing demand for funeral facilities amidst population ageing. Other than boosting the supply of niches at columbaria, the Government has been making efforts to promote green burial with a view to relieving the shortage of land for such facilities. In spite of the wider acceptance of green burial by society nowadays, some consider that there is room to further expand green burial adoption. In Taiwan, it began to promote green burial as early as in 2001. At city level, Taipei features tree/flower burial and established the island's first tree and flower burial grounds where the park-like settings have made the environment more accepted by the public. Burial grounds for scattering pets' ashes are also made available and serve as another way to promote public awareness of green burial. Financial incentives are given as well to stimulate the adoption of green burial. Apart from publicity campaigns for the general public, promotional activities for targeted groups are organized to gain support from concerned stakeholder groups. All these have resulted in a high adoption of green burial in the city. Even though changes in conventional burial perception are generally slow and gradual, relevant experiences in Taipei might provide insights for Hong Kong in strengthening the green burial facilities and promotion.