Of six Salem funeral homes contacted, only one has ever received a request for a biodegradable casket."We filled the request with a fiberboard coffin," said Bruce Fuller, director at Crown Memorial Centers. "Sometimes we get requests for biodegradable urns during preplanning from people who intend to have their ashes scattered or their urns placed in a lake. But most people have never heard of a biodegradable casket."

Collin Roberts, director at Weddle Funeral Home, said, "Recently more has been written about "green" cemeteries in the trade journals, but there aren't any in Oregon. Green means no embalming fluids and nothing enclosing the body to keep it from going back into the earth."

Embalming with a formaldehyde solution preserves the body, keeping it suitable for the funeral service. In Oregon, permission from the family is required for embalming and many families choose refrigeration instead, thus avoiding chemicals. Casket options for green funerals are wood, wicker, and bamboo, as well as cloth burial shrouds. But funeral directors in Salem will tell you it's pointless to select a biodegradable coffin
because all caskets are legally required to be enclosed in containers of concrete or metal.

Not true, says David Koach, executive director of the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board. "Oregon does not have a law requiring an outer burial container. However, cemeteries have the right to establish their own rules, so they can impose requirements about containers and headstones.

"Most people don't know to ask these questions about burial options. And, if some family members have been buried in a certain cemetery, then that's where the rest of the family will want to be interred even if they're unhappy with the rules of the cemetery."

Pest Control
Customers don't ask many questions when it comes to eliminating insects. "They just want to get rid of the bugs. I guess they're confident that the industry is controlled by the government," said Dave Myers, manager of D&K Pest Control. "It's true the EPA regulates the chemicals we use, and several pesticides have been banned. But before the ban there was a house near here that was condemned and torn down because of poisonous levels of Dursban.

"Essentially all pest control is done with the same chemicals and they're relatively safe for people and pets if used according to manufacturers' specifications. The Oregon Department of Agriculture has clamped down on a lot of those companies that were advertising organic or non-toxic methods." However, there are a few pest control products now available that are considered safer and more environmentally friendly.

Ed Pacheco, owner of AAA Pest Eliminators said, "I've tried one line of natural products and I'm about to try another to use in crawl spaces. The problem is it takes more than one application and the products cost more. People don't want two or three sprayings and they don't want to pay the extra cost.

"We use chemicals that will be most effective while being the least toxic. We use boric acid and baits when we can. Educating customers is the key. We spend time telling them how to cover dishes and remove items from the areas where we're going to spray, and instruct them how long to stay out of the house."

Our survey found that people using pest control services ask about protection of small children and pets, but don't question the effects on the environment.

Lawn Care
The same short-term thinking is often found among homeowners seeking pictureperfect lawns. "Most questions about lawn chemicals come from customers with pets," said J.D. Ribali, of Green & Clean. "We're getting a few more requests for organic products, but for the most part, people want a beautiful green lawn overnight."

Ribali's practice is to offer both conventional and organic treatments for lawns. "Ninety percent of our customers go with the traditional methods because they're quicker and they cost less. Organic treatments cost fifty percent more."

Lawn chemicals, as with pest control chemicals, are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Yet it is difficult to fix blame on one chemical because two or more chemicals might be combined in a product, and the effects of exposure might not be evident for many years.

House Cleaning Services
"I'd say less than 10 percent of our customers ask about the chemicals in our cleaning products. Some question the smell," said Brian Lindon, owner of Custom Care. "When we switched to environmentally friendly products, we advertised that fact and thought it would really draw customers for that reason. But it hasn't made much difference."

Customer indifference to cleaning products was cited by all six cleaning services that were polled."It's sad to say, people just don't seem to care," said Susie Steffel, owner Heavenly Housekeeping. "For me, being in the business has created an awareness of the long-term effects of chemicals. For the most part we use vinegar and water, baking soda, and biodegradable cleansers."

According to owners of house cleaning services, the few people who have sensitivities or allergies requiring special products are expected to supply these products.

Dry Cleaning
"I'm not saying you can take a bath in it, but at least it won't eat your skin if you splash it on your hand," said Earl Eckstrom, owner of The Cleanery. Eckstrom was talking about some of the alternate chemicals he uses in dry cleaning.

"We switched to synthetic chemicals that have significantly reduced the toxic potential to people and the environment. But we're disappointed that our switch didn't get more of a response from customers. We thought they'd latch onto the idea of eco-friendly, but we didn't get a surge of customers because of that," said Eckstrom.

The Cleanery has been recognized by Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality and receives a tax credit for using chemicals of reduced potency.

Customer Resources
Often people don't know there are alternatives; they don't know the questions to ask. For example, "biodegradable" has no legal definition. The American Society for Testing and Materials defines the term as a degradation caused by biological activity leading to a significant change in the chemical structure of the material. But this definition is so imprecise that it has been applied to a wide range of products -- even those that might take decades to decompose, or those that break down into harmful environmental toxins.

To educate consumers, Straub Environmental Learning Center hosts a series of lectures, creating awareness and understanding of influences on the environment. Visit www.open.org/~selc or call (503) 391-4145.

The Oregon State University Extension Service has a wealth of research-based knowledge focused on community livability and natural resources sustainability. Information is available on gardening, agriculture, forestry, marine life, and much more. Visit extension.oregonstate.edu or call (541) 737-2713.

Marion County Public Works Environmental Services offers a training course for recycling, waste reduction, and composting. This agency is considering publication of a guide that will endorse businesses that have adopted eco-friendly practices. They welcome environmental questions at any time. Visit www.co.marion.or.us/PW/ES or call (503) 588-5169.

The Watershed Enhancement Team is another organization encouraging residents and businesses to pledge to protect Salem's streams and rivers. More than 184 businesses listed on their Web site have taken the
pledge. Visit www.watershedenhancementteam.org or call (503) 371-4090.