ABOUT

We are an environmentally conscious casket company specializing in sustainable local production of pine caskets for green burial. We also serve as an educational resource with the aim of helping our community align end-of-life choices with personal values.

The green burial movement is grounded in protecting our natural environment. Green Renewal Caskets has embraced this responsibility through conservation efforts and by minimizing our operation’s impact. We build with locally available materials and without toxic glues or finishes. Our caskets are made from renewable native white pine that is milled by our onsite partner, Wilson Creek Woodsmithing. Sawlogs are Upper Peninsula sourced from small residential cuts and careful timberland management that protects healthy forests and maintains intact wildlife habitats. The boards are then traditionally seasoned by the sun and wind, eliminating the carbon emissions of kiln drying. Each casket is assembled by hand with non-toxic glue(our homemade casein/milk glue is in development!) and just a few carefully placed uncoated steel fasteners. Wood cut-offs are used to heat our shop and wood shavings fill our custom casket liners resulting in zero waste. The finished product is a biodegradable beauty, thoughtfully crafted for those with the simple wish of returning peacefully to earth.

Our most basic goal at GRC is to be a valuable contributor to our community. We do that by learning as much as we can and by making that knowledge easily accessible to the public. We have developed robust FAQ and RESOURCE pages to assist those interested in learning about green burial or needing to access local services. Working alongside other green burial groups and local organizations, we aim to increase awareness of the immense social and environmental benefits of natural death care.

GRC has taken the green burial principles of environmental conservation and social responsibility to heart and we have crafted our business with Integrity. Our business model is sustainable at a small scale. We measure our success not by growth, but by balance. By keeping our operation small, we keep our footprint small. By limiting our service area and overhead, we maintain accessible pricing for our neighbors and friends. In founding Green Renewal Caskets, we’ve found our path to a simple fulfilling life surrounded by and in harmony with nature. We hope to meet you along the way.

How We Got Started

– A Note From Founder, Jodi Miri

Set in Michigan’s great northern wilderness just outside the blossoming city of Marquette lies a little cabin, a beautiful timber-frame workshop, and a meticulously cared for sawmill and woodyard. This is the birthplace of Green Renewal Caskets.

In 2019, as the green burial movement was taking hold in the UP, I was noticing how personally unfulfilled I felt in my career. I pushed on each day and thought, “What am I doing with my life?” I wondered what my impact was on the people around me, on the planet. Was I effecting positive change..?

On a sunny day in August, I was visiting a new friend who had offered to share some coreopsis and black eyed susans from her garden. Elizabeth(Puck) Bates handed me a bag of seeds and threw some out in front of her, demonstrating how she turned her entire front and back yard to wildflowers. Puck is a champion of the green burial movement in Marquette and her excitement that day was contagious. She said, “You can buy a casket on the internet, but a local maker would be better. Know anyone?”. My mind ticked through various carpenter friends. Then I heard myself cheerfully say aloud, “I could do it! I hate my Job!”. We laughed, and the seed was planted.

There was no going back after that. I quickly realized that an incredible opportunity had presented itself and I was poised to make the most of it. I had two previous self-employment ventures under my belt, fueling my confidence and ambition. At 33 years old, I craved meaningful work and was ready for a home-based lifestyle. I already had some woodworking and carpentry skills, and serendipitously, I happened to live at a sawmill. My partner and owner of Wilson Creek Woodsmithing, Justin Savu, could supply the ideal pine boards for biodegradable caskets. Woven into his business is a careful, respectful stewardship of the forest. WCW & GRC were a perfect fit. Justin has graciously provided workshop space and offered guidance and mentoring. In no time, I had jumped in with both feet.

Now that Green Renewal Caskets is open for business, I am feeling a renewed joie de vivre. “Excitement for life” may seem strange for a casket maker, but the more I learn the more I realize, that is what green burial is all about. It is a loving gift, a show of respect, and a healthy celebration for the cycle of life. 

Thank you for taking the time to read our story.

To learn more about green burial, our FAQ/Green Burial Basics page is a great place to start.

Questions? Call us, we’re here to help.

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