Wisconsin-based green casket company inks deals with funeral homes across state, region
Beaver Dam, WI – Consumers in Wisconsin can now choose “greener” casket options for their loved ones thanks to several new partnerships between Northwoods Casket Co. and funeral homes across the state of Wisconsin and beyond.
Over the past month, several Wisconsin funeral homes including large, Madison-area providers Cress and Gunderson as well smaller homes serving rural communities like Saether in Blanchardville and Thompson in Wonewoc have added Northwoods’ products to their showrooms and offerings, meaning families can easily make choices that are gentler on the planet.
“Families are increasingly looking for greener options,” says Rachel Bledsoe, advance funeral planner with Cress. “By offering these caskets, we help them make very personal choices to honor their loved ones and the environment.”
Northwoods caskets are made from red pine grown in the northern Wisconsin and cut by local loggers. The caskets are milled and built in Wisconsin and even the cardboard shipping boxes are made in the Wisconsin’s Fox River valley from recycled paper and tree pulp produced in Wisconsin.
“I not only feel good offering more environmental and affordable options for families,” says Paul Saether, director of Seather funeral home in Blanchardville, “I also like the fact that these products support jobs in our state.”
Northwoods Casket also replaces what it uses by planting 100 trees for every casket it produces.
“The care we put into creating our caskets might make them the greenest on the planet, but what I’m most proud of is the natural legacy we leave for future generations by planting these trees,” says Jonas Zahn, Northwoods Casket founder.
About Northwoods Casket Co. - Established in 2010 and based in Beaver Dam, Wis., Northwoods’ mission is to provide funeral homes and families a simple, affordable, wooden casket purposefully designed for quality and a low environmental impact. The company’s commitment is to plant 100 trees for every casket built. In addition to caskets and casket kits, Northwood’s Casket creates and sells simple assembled and do-it-yourself caskets, shrouds, trundles, and casket liners and pillows. All products are biodegradable.
The simple pine box, made from Wisconsin blue-stained pine, is an affordable and earth-friendly alternative to expensive steel and wooden caskets often made overseas.