An eco-friendly burial can start with a simple wish: “We want this to feel gentle—on the earth, and on us.” For some families, that wish comes in the middle of grief, when decisions pile up fast. For others, it arrives earlier, as part of thoughtful funeral planning while there’s still time to ask questions and make calm choices. Either way, green planning is less about perfection and more about alignment—choosing practices and materials that reduce environmental impact while still honoring the life you’re remembering.
That alignment can look different depending on where you live and what your local cemeteries allow. A fully natural burial in a conservation cemetery may be possible in one place and complicated in another. The key is to understand what “green” usually means, what cemeteries can require, and where you have real flexibility—whether you’re planning an earth burial, considering cremation, or trying to build a memorial plan that blends both values and practicality.
What “green burial” usually means (and why the cemetery matters)
In its simplest form, green burial planning focuses on allowing a body to return to the earth naturally, with fewer non-biodegradable materials and fewer chemicals. The details vary by cemetery type, but the common thread is avoiding barriers that slow natural decomposition—like metal caskets, sealed liners, and concrete vaults—while choosing biodegradable containers such as a burial shroud or a biodegradable casket. The Green Burial Council describes natural burial as burial “without impediment,” commonly understood to mean no embalming, no vaults/liners, and biodegradable materials.
At the same time, “green burial” is not one universal rulebook. The National Funeral Directors Association notes that “green cemeteries” can include hybrid, natural, and conservation cemeteries—each with different practices and policies. This is why your plan can feel eco-friendly in theory and then hit a wall in practice if a cemetery requires a vault, restricts shrouds, limits grave markers, or has rules about plantings and memorial items.
If you remember just one thing, let it be this: the “greenest” option is the one that’s actually permitted and doable where you will bury. Your best next step is not buying a product first, but learning what the cemetery will accept.
The quiet choices that make a burial greener (before you choose materials)
Many families associate a green funeral with what you can see—a shroud, a pine casket, a meadow instead of a lawn. But the biggest environmental differences often come from the choices you make behind the scenes: preservation methods, transportation, and whether your plans require or avoid certain processes.
One common concern is embalming. In the U.S., embalming is often treated like a default, but it usually isn’t legally required. The Federal Trade Commission explains in its Funeral Rule guidance that funeral providers must disclose that embalming is not required by law except in special cases. Many families choose refrigeration, dry ice, or prompt burial instead, especially when their goal is a no embalming burial and a simpler, lower-impact plan.
This is also where timing helps. If your family wants to avoid embalming but still hopes for a viewing or time for relatives to arrive, ask about options that support that goal: a private farewell without embalming, a closed-casket gathering, a short visitation window, or a memorial service held after burial. A green plan can still hold ceremony and tenderness—it simply asks you to match the care choices to what matters most.
Biodegradable materials that support a natural burial
Once you understand the cemetery’s rules, materials become easier. In green burial, “biodegradable” isn’t a marketing phrase—it’s a practical requirement. The container should break down naturally and avoid plastics, metal, and permanent composites. In many natural burial grounds, the simplest approach is a shroud burial, where the body is wrapped in a natural fiber cloth and placed directly in the earth (sometimes with a rigid carrier board for safe handling). If you want a grounded overview of how these options work, Funeral.com’s guide Eco-Friendly Caskets and Shrouds: Greener Choices for Earth Burial walks through common scenarios and the kinds of cemetery requirements families encounter.
Green shrouds are often made from natural fibers such as cotton, linen, hemp, and wool—materials chosen because they’re breathable and more likely to decompose cleanly. Funeral.com’s article Green Burial Shrouds: Materials, Costs & How to Wrap a Body explains how shroud planning works in a calm, practical way, including what to confirm before you purchase so you don’t end up with something that doesn’t meet cemetery rules.
If your cemetery allows a casket but you want a greener option, look for biodegradable materials like unfinished pine, bamboo, wicker, or cardboard—again, depending on local policy. Some cemeteries also permit a shroud plus a simple carrier (a board or basket) for safe transport to the gravesite, especially where cemetery staff require a rigid structure for lowering. These details can feel surprisingly specific, but asking early saves stress later.
Questions to ask the cemetery so your plan stays truly “green”
When people feel disappointed about green burial, it’s often because they assumed the cemetery would allow what a website described. A short phone call can protect you from that mismatch. Here are a few questions that usually clarify things fast:
- Do you require a vault or grave liner, or can we bury without one?
- Is embalming required for burial here, or are refrigeration and prompt burial acceptable?
- Are burial shrouds allowed, and do you require a rigid carrier for handling?
- What casket materials are permitted (pine, bamboo, wicker, cardboard), and are any finishes prohibited?
- What markers are allowed (flat stones, native plantings, GPS mapping), and what maintenance rules apply?
- Are there restrictions on flowers, flags, or memorial items left at the gravesite?
If you are planning ahead, ask these questions before you commit to a plot. If you are planning after a death, ask before you purchase a casket or shroud. The goal is not to “win” a policy debate—it’s to choose a plan that meets your family’s values without surprise expenses or last-minute changes.
When cremation is part of an eco-friendly plan
Some families begin with green burial and still choose cremation because of distance, cost, timing, or personal preference. Others choose cremation because it gives flexibility—memorial now, burial later; scattering in a meaningful place; or keeping a portion of ashes at home. Cremation also intersects with environmental concerns in a real way: as cremation becomes more common, more families are looking for lower-impact memorialization options.
According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to reach 63.4% in 2025, more than double the projected burial rate of 31.6%. The Cremation Association of North America also tracks annual cremation statistics and trends, reflecting how widely cremation has become part of modern end-of-life choices. If you are trying to plan sustainably, these numbers matter for a simple reason: there are more options than ever for how to honor ashes in a way that matches your family’s values.
That’s where decisions about cremation urns, keepsakes, and ceremony come in. A traditional, durable urn can be the right choice for keeping ashes at home—especially if you want something secure, stable, and designed to last. But if your goal is an earth burial or water farewell that returns remains to nature, biodegradable options can be a better fit for the values behind your plan.
Eco-friendly ways to handle ashes (without losing the comfort of ritual)
There’s a misconception that an eco-friendly plan must be minimal to the point of emptiness. Many families want the opposite: something simple, yes, but still meaningful. Ashes give you room to create that kind of ritual—whether you choose a home memorial, a cemetery placement, or a ceremony outdoors.
If you want a classic, lasting memorial at home, start with the basics: the right size, secure closure, and a style that feels like your person. Funeral.com’s collection of cremation urns for ashes includes many materials and designs, while the Cremation Urn Buying Guide helps you understand how materials, closures, and burial plans affect what you should choose. If space is limited or your family plans to share, small cremation urns can hold a portion of remains in a format that still feels dignified and intentional.
For many families, sharing is the tender middle ground—one person keeps the primary urn, while others keep a small portion. That’s where keepsake urns can be a steady, practical option. Funeral.com’s guide Keepsake Urns Explained walks through capacities and real-life use cases so you can plan sharing without guesswork.
Water burial and biodegradable urns
If your family imagines a goodbye on the ocean or a lake, a water burial plan often feels both symbolic and environmentally gentle—especially when paired with a fully biodegradable urn. The key is making sure the ceremony follows local and federal rules. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency explains burial-at-sea guidance under the federal general permit, including that cremated remains may not be placed in ocean waters within three nautical miles of shore. The regulation itself is also reflected in the Cornell Law (LII) version of 40 CFR 229.1, which states cremated remains must be buried in or on ocean waters no closer than three nautical miles from land.
If you want a compassionate, plain-language guide to planning a sea farewell, Funeral.com’s article Biodegradable Ocean & Water Burial Urns explains how these urns are designed to float briefly or sink and dissolve, and how to choose based on the pace and feeling your family wants in the moment.
Keeping ashes at home (and making it safe)
Many families choose keeping ashes at home for a while even if they plan a future burial or scattering. It can be a gentle way to slow down decisions and give grief space to move at its own pace. If you’re considering this, think about safety as a form of care: stable placement, a secure lid, and a plan for children, pets, and visitors. Funeral.com’s guide Keeping Ashes at Home covers both the emotional side and practical steps so your home memorial feels steady rather than stressful.
Cremation jewelry and small keepsakes
Sometimes a full urn feels too large—emotionally, physically, or both. A tiny portion of ashes can be held in cremation jewelry as a private, wearable form of remembrance. For families who want something discreet for daily life, cremation necklaces are a common choice. You can explore Funeral.com’s cremation jewelry collection or the more specific cremation necklaces collection, and if you want guidance on seals, filling, and what to ask before buying, Funeral.com’s article Cremation Necklaces and Pendants for Ashes can help you choose with confidence.
Jewelry doesn’t replace an urn for most families—it complements it. Some people keep a primary urn at home and wear a small portion in a necklace. Others pair jewelry with keepsake urns so multiple family members can each choose the form of closeness that feels most supportive.
Pet loss, green values, and choosing a memorial that feels right
Eco-friendly planning often expands beyond one person because grief rarely arrives only once. Families who care about sustainability frequently want the same gentleness when a beloved animal companion dies. Choosing pet urns can be both a practical step and an emotional one: it gives you a place to put love that suddenly has nowhere to go. Funeral.com’s pet urns for ashes collection includes traditional and decorative options, and the guide Pet Urns 101 explains sizing, materials, and keepsake plans in a way that respects how real pet grief feels.
If your family wants something that feels like art as well as remembrance, pet cremation urns in figurine styles can capture personality and presence. If multiple people want to share, pet keepsake cremation urns can hold a small portion so no one feels left out of the memorial.
Costs, transparency, and planning without pressure
Green choices are often described as “simpler,” but that doesn’t automatically mean cheaper. A natural burial plot can sometimes cost more, and some cemeteries charge for special sections or specific handling requirements. On the other hand, avoiding vaults, expensive caskets, and embalming can reduce costs in conventional settings. The most helpful approach is to ask for itemized pricing and compare apples to apples: cemetery fees, opening/closing, outer container requirements, body care, transportation, and the container itself.
If cremation is part of your plan, one of the most common questions families ask is how much does cremation cost. Prices vary widely by region and service type, but getting clear early reduces stress. Funeral.com’s guide How Much Does Cremation Cost in the U.S.? explains the difference between direct cremation and services, common fees, and ways to plan with care. If your plan includes both cremation and a green burial of ashes, you can also explore biodegradable options and cemetery requirements in Are Biodegradable Burial Urns a Good Option?
One gentle way to approach all of this is to separate “disposition” from “memorialization.” Disposition is the legal, physical part: burial, cremation, or another method. Memorialization is how you tell the story afterward: a gathering, a marker, an urn at home, a scattering ritual, a piece of cremation jewelry, a donation, a planting, a place you return to. When you separate those layers, planning often feels less overwhelming—and more like care.
Making a green plan that holds up in real life
Eco-friendly decisions land best when they’re sturdy enough for real grief. That means choosing options your family can carry out without fighting policies, running into surprise fees, or feeling rushed into choices that don’t fit. Start with the cemetery rules. Then choose materials that match those rules. Then build a memorial plan that matches your people.
If your family is still weighing options—earth burial, cremation, or a blend—give yourself permission to move step by step. You can plan a natural burial with a shroud. You can choose cremation and select durable cremation urns for ashes for home, or biodegradable urns for earth placement or water burial. You can share remains with small cremation urns or keepsake urns, or keep someone close through cremation necklaces. None of those choices are “less loving.” They are simply different ways of making meaning—while still caring for the earth that holds us all.
FAQs
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Is embalming required for a green or natural burial?
Usually, no. In many cases embalming is not legally required, and families can choose alternatives like refrigeration or prompt burial. The FTC’s Funeral Rule guidance notes that funeral providers must disclose embalming is not required by law except in special cases. Your cemetery or funeral home may have timing-related requirements, so ask what options are available for your specific plans.
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Do all cemeteries allow green burial materials like shrouds or biodegradable caskets?
No. Some conventional cemeteries require vaults or liners and may restrict shrouds, certain casket materials, or graveside practices. Hybrid, natural, and conservation cemeteries often have different standards. The most important step is calling the cemetery and confirming rules before purchasing any burial container.
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Can cremation be part of an eco-friendly plan?
Yes. Many families choose cremation and then focus on lower-impact memorialization choices, such as biodegradable urns for earth placement, a water burial ceremony that follows local rules, or keeping ashes at home in a secure urn. Others use keepsake urns or cremation jewelry to share a small portion while scattering or burying the rest.
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What should I ask a cemetery to make sure our burial stays “green”?
Ask whether a vault or liner is required, whether embalming is required, whether shrouds are allowed (and whether a rigid carrier is needed), what casket materials and finishes are permitted, and what marker and graveside decoration rules apply. These answers determine what options are truly available.
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Are pet urns and pet keepsakes available for eco-minded families?
Yes. Families can choose pet urns for ashes in many styles, including keepsake-sized options for sharing and decorative figurine urns. If sustainability is a priority, ask about materials and intended use (home display vs burial), and match the choice to your plan and local rules.
