Green Burial: A Sustainable and Meaningful Farewell
In today’s world, more people are seeking ways to honor their loved ones while minimizing environmental impact. Green burials and destination ash scattering are two increasingly popular choices for those who want their final tribute to reflect both sustainability and a deep connection to nature. These options offer families a way to commemorate the lives of their loved ones in a meaningful, eco-friendly way, while also embracing the beauty of the natural world.
In this article, we’ll explore the growing popularity of green burials and destination ash scattering, how they work, and why they’re becoming a preferred choice for families looking for sustainable end-of-life options.
What is Green Burial?
A green burial is an environmentally friendly option for those who wish to return to nature in the most natural and sustainable way possible. Unlike traditional burials, which often involve chemicals, embalming fluids, and non-biodegradable caskets, green burials use minimal resources to ensure that the body is returned to the earth in a way that allows it to decompose naturally.
Key Features of Green Burial:
No Embalming: In a green burial, the body is not embalmed, as embalming chemicals can leach into the earth, affecting the environment.
Biodegradable Caskets: Families typically choose caskets made from biodegradable materials such as bamboo, wicker, or pine. These caskets naturally break down over time, ensuring a minimal environmental footprint.
Natural Burial Sites: Green burials often take place in conservation cemeteries or designated green burial grounds that are protected and maintained as natural habitats, such as forests, meadows, or wetlands.
Simple Markers: Instead of elaborate headstones, green burial sites often feature simple, natural markers such as a tree, stone, or wooden plaque. This helps preserve the natural beauty of the site without adding to environmental degradation.
Green burial is a meaningful and sustainable choice for those who want to honor their loved ones without harming the planet. It aligns with the growing desire for more environmentally conscious options, reflecting a reverence for the earth and a desire to give back to nature.
This complete guide to speaking at a Celebration of life has everything you need—with speech ideas, short phrases, family-friendly formats, music and scripture ideas, and fill-in templates to make planning easier.
We’ve gathered 20 meaningful verses—grouped by theme—to help guide your tribute, whether you’re reading aloud, writing a eulogy, or preparing a keepsake for your ash scattering or funeral.
If you’re looking for inspiration beyond the ordinary, here are five powerful cremation memorial ideas to help you celebrate your loved one’s memory with meaning, intention, and beauty.
This guide will help you plan a thoughtful, peaceful ash scattering tribute step by step— whether you want a celebration of life with lots of music an people or something quiet and memorable.
Whether you’re planning ahead or honoring someone you love, this guide is here to help you design a farewell that feels truly personal.
At BONAVENTURE, we don’t just follow these shifts—we embody them.
Our ash scattering service reflects five of the top 10 funeral trends of 2025, helping families choose something more beautiful, intentional, and future-focused.
Our ash scattering services were designed for all families — whether you’re grieving a recent loss or quietly carrying a loved one’s ashes from years ago.
We offer a simple, dignified way to move from storage to ceremony, from uncertainty to closure.
If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s a more meaningful way to say goodbye, you’re not alone. In fact, studies suggest that up to 20% of cremated remains are never scattered or interred — simply because families aren’t sure what to do.
68% of families want greener funeral options. BONAVENTURE offers sustainable, unaccompanied ash scattering with 10 trees planted per tribute.
A farewell that restores.
Complete Guide to Traveling with Ashes:
We'll cover everything from TSA and airline regulations, to tips for keeping your loved one’s urn secure during long car rides, to international travel considerations that help you stay in compliance with the law.
Keeping a loved one’s ashes without knowing what to do next is more common than you think. Grief has no timeline, and for many people, deciding what to do with cremains takes time—sometimes months or even years. If you’re holding onto ashes and feeling uncertain, that’s okay. You’re not alone.
But when you’re ready, giving the remains a resting place—symbolic or physical—can offer deep emotional relief. It transforms a state of holding on into a gesture of letting love go forward.
This comprehensive guide to scattering ashes at sea walks you through every step of the journey—from the practical to the profoundly meaningful.
You'll find everything you need to know, including EPA regulations and legal requirements, how to prepare for ocean conditions, what to say or read during a scattering ceremony, and the emotional and environmental benefits of choosing the sea as a final resting place.
Is It Legal to Scatter Ashes in Yellowstone?
A Final Resting Place of Majesty
When you choose to scatter crematory ashes in Yellowstone, you’re not choosing just a location—you’re choosing an experience that reflects the power, uniqueness, and dignity of the person you're honoring. It’s where memories become part of the soil, the sky, and the water.
Why Ash Scattering Is Becoming the Preferred Tribute
Ash scattering isn’t just a trend—it’s a reflection of changing values. Families today want to celebrate life in ways that feel meaningful, intentional, and aligned with both emotional needs and environmental ethics.
45% of people now say they want their ashes scattered in a place that holds special meaning. At the same time, 65% of families are actively looking for greener memorial options.
Ash scattering beautifully honors both wishes: a sustainable farewell and a connection to the natural world.
What Are Your Options for Scattering Ashes If You Don’t Feel Close?
If you find yourself holding ashes for someone you weren’t close to, there are several thoughtful ways to handle the situation.
If you’ve found yourself wondering what to do with crematory ashes, you’re not alone. Many people feel this same uncertainty and emotional burden. And sometimes, just deciding to move forward can be the hardest step.
For some, the thought of keeping ashes at home feels unsettling or just doesn't feel right. But the truth is, you don't have to do this alone.
There’s something transformative about returning ashes to the earth, the sky, or the sea. It’s not about erasing the loss. It’s about giving that love room to move, breathe, and flow, just like nature itself.
Whether it’s been a month or a decade, our unaccompanied ash scattering service makes it possible to say goodbye with intention. We scatter ashes at stunning natural destinations—mountain streams, forested trails, ocean cliffs, glowing shores—places where peace comes easily.
Whether you’ve been carrying ashes across moves, across years, or across grief itself—we can help release them into a natural place of peace. Ocean cliffs. Mountain lakes. Glowing shores under the stars.
According to the National Funeral Directors Association, 65% of individuals now express interest in green burials, reflecting a growing discomfort with the environmental cost of conventional practices.
Even among those who choose cremation—a method often seen as more flexible—many aren’t content with urns on mantels or columbarium walls. In fact, 45% of cremation families say they want ashes to be scattered in a meaningful, natural place. A forest trail. A mountain overlook. The shore at sunrise. These are the kinds of goodbyes people are longing for.
But what feels right emotionally isn’t always simple practically. Questions quickly arise: Where is it legal to scatter ashes? Do I need a permit? Can I even get to that place? What if I can't go alone? And then there are the emotional logistics—grief rarely arrives with a to-do list in hand.
Check Out Our Helpful Guide to Scattering Ashes Together— from choosing a location to being prepared when you get there.
Whether it's a favorite spot from life or simply a remarkable location that embodies peace and serenity, families and loved ones choose joint ash scattering memorials to ensure they rest together in a place that reflects their connection and honors their story. It’s a final tribute to a bond that lives on, in a setting as extraordinary as the life they shared.
Whether you're planning to release ashes at sea, in a national park, or on private land, it's important to know that there are legal guidelines you’ll need to follow.
Understanding these rules early in the process not only ensures you're in compliance with state and federal laws, but also helps avoid any disruption during a deeply personal and emotional ceremony. This guide breaks down the key legal considerations for cremated remains and offers helpful guidance for making the process easier.
From the beach to a rooftop bar: Follow our tips and guides below to create a Celebration of Life that’s truly one of a kind for your loved one.