Funerals are going green: Biodegradable caskets, water-based cremation. 'It's so new. We are all trying to find a way to explain it.'

Seven years ago Jack Davenport, co-owner of Davenport Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, was approached with what seemed to be an unusual request.

A family trying to grant the last wishes of a loved one wanted the body buried in a biodegradable casket to allow for natural decomposition.

Davenport, 53, was able to accommodate the family, and in the process launched a new line of business that caters to environmentally conscious families. His firm now offers biodegradable caskets and shrouds, which are typically a linen cloth used to wrap the body of the deceased.

"I do this because the environmental, green movement is growing," Davenport said. "Some families don't want cremation. They want a burial ... their mentality is that