Our Work Toward a Carbon-Neutral Funeral Home in North Carolina
When we opened Endswell in Hillsborough, North Carolina, we set out with a clear goal. We wanted to reimagine what a funeral home could look like, how it could operate, and how it could serve families while reducing environmental impact. From the beginning, sustainability was not an add-on to our services. It was a core principle that guided every decision we made.
Endswell was founded by us, Hunter Beattie and Veronica Penn Beattie, with the intention of offering full funeral care while addressing the environmental costs often associated with death care in the United States. Traditional burial and cremation methods rely heavily on fossil fuels, concrete, steel, and chemicals. We believed there was room for a more thoughtful approach that still honored each life with care and dignity.
Why We Built a Modern, Environmentally Focused Funeral Home
Before entering the funeral profession, our backgrounds were rooted in nonprofit work, environmental advocacy, and renewable energy. Those experiences shaped how we think about systems, long-term impact, and community responsibility. In early 2022, while living in the Triangle area, the idea for Endswell became tangible after learning about aquamation and reading about Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s choice to use this method.
Aquamation, also known as alkaline hydrolysis, immediately stood out as an alternative that aligned with our values. Unlike flame-based cremation, aquamation uses water, heat, and an alkaline solution to return the body to its natural elements. This process avoids combustion entirely and significantly reduces carbon emissions.
Within weeks of learning about aquamation, we committed to building a funeral home that centered environmental responsibility while still offering the full range of services families expect. That decision became the foundation of Endswell.
Aquamation Services in the Triangle Region
Endswell is currently the only funeral home in the Triangle region offering aquamation. One of the most meaningful aspects of this service is that it avoids releasing toxic or carcinogenic gases into the atmosphere. Because there is no burning involved, the environmental footprint is dramatically lower compared to traditional cremation.
Many families who choose aquamation tell us they are drawn to it for environmental reasons. Others describe it as a gentler process, one that aligns with their personal beliefs or values. Our role is not to steer families toward one option, but to provide clear information so they can make informed choices.
Offering a Full Range of Funeral and Burial Services
While aquamation is a central part of our mission, Endswell provides comprehensive funeral care. We offer cremation, traditional burial, green burial, and natural burial services. Our goal is to meet families where they are, respecting cultural, spiritual, and personal preferences.
For green and natural burials, we use biodegradable caskets rather than metal or concrete containers. These burials involve no embalming chemicals and allow the body to return naturally to the earth. Endswell assists with most of the natural burials at Bluestem Conservation Cemetery, a protected green burial ground that prioritizes land conservation.
Our partnership with Bluestem developed organically. Both organizations began around the same time in 2022, which created an opportunity to collaborate and grow together. We share a common purpose of expanding choices for families while protecting land for future generations.
Sustainability Beyond Funeral Services
Environmental responsibility extends beyond the services we offer. We are actively working to reduce the operational footprint of our facility. In 2025, Endswell was awarded a grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program. This reimbursable grant supports renewable energy projects for rural small businesses.
The grant covers 50 percent of the cost of a solar array being installed on our rooftop and parking lot. The system is designed to offset all electricity used for aquamation services and other core operations. Because we also use electric vehicles for transportation related to green burial services, the solar installation allows us to charge those vehicles on site.
Once the system is fully operational, our aquamation and green burial services will operate at a carbon-neutral level. This step represents a significant milestone in our long-term sustainability plan.
Education and Community Engagement
One of the most important roles we see ourselves playing is education. Death is often treated as a taboo topic, and many people reach out to a funeral home only during moments of crisis. We believe communities benefit when conversations about death care happen earlier, openly, and without pressure.
Endswell regularly hosts community information sessions where people can ask questions, learn about different options, and understand what happens at each stage of the process. These sessions are not sales-focused. They exist to make information accessible and to remove confusion or fear surrounding funeral care.
As an industry, death care has often been closed off from public understanding. We believe transparency builds trust. When families understand their choices, they are better equipped to make decisions that align with their values.
Looking Ahead
Our vision for Endswell continues to evolve. Becoming a carbon-neutral funeral home is one milestone, not the endpoint. We are constantly evaluating our practices, equipment, and partnerships to identify ways to reduce impact while improving service quality.
At the same time, our commitment to families remains central. Sustainability does not replace compassion, presence, or care. It supports them. Every service we provide is grounded in listening, respect, and the understanding that no two families experience loss in the same way.
We are grateful to be part of a broader conversation about how funeral care can adapt to meet the needs of today’s communities while respecting the planet. As more people seek environmentally conscious options, we hope our work helps normalize these choices and expand access throughout North Carolina and beyond.
Endswell exists to serve, to educate, and to care. We remain committed to offering thoughtful, transparent funeral services that honor life while minimizing harm to the environment.