The Pros and Cons of Green Burial Options
For the purposes of this article, I am deferring to experts like the Green Burial Council. Families deserve to have all the information they need to make thoughtful decisions about burial options—decisions that both honor their loved one and align with their own values. Some families are drawn to tradition, others to innovation, and many today are asking how to “green their funeral” as part of a legacy of care for the earth.
Below, you’ll find a guide to the most common burial options, with honest pros and cons. This is not a prescription but an offering: a resource to help families weigh what feels most healing, meaningful, and environmentally responsible.
🌿 What Is a Green Burial?
By definition, “Green burial is a way of caring for the dead with minimal environmental impact that aids in the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, protection of worker health, and the restoration and/or preservation of habitat.” – Green Burial Council
At its heart, a green burial seeks to return the body gently to the earth—without toxic chemicals, non-biodegradable materials, or energy-intensive processes. Instead of embalming with formaldehyde, the body is either left unembalmed or preserved using natural, non-toxic methods. Instead of metal caskets or concrete vaults, families choose simple shrouds, biodegradable caskets made of wood, wicker, or cardboard, or even no container at all.
The goal is simple but profound: to allow nature’s cycle to resume. The body nourishes the soil, which in turn sustains plant and animal life. A burial site may look less like a traditional cemetery and more like a meadow, forest, or conservation area—places where wildflowers bloom, trees shelter birds, and trails invite quiet reflection.
Green burial is not only an ecological choice but often a spiritual one. It reflects the ancient practice of “dust to dust,” offering a sense of continuity and reverence for the natural world. For many families, it’s also a way to align end-of-life decisions with values of sustainability, simplicity, and care for future generations.
🌲 Where Green Burial Is Allowed
Green burial grounds are becoming more common, but not every cemetery offers this option. There are generally three types:
Hybrid Cemeteries – Conventional cemeteries that allow green burials alongside traditional burials.
Natural Cemeteries – Spaces dedicated solely to natural burials, without vaults, chemicals, or synthetic markers.
Conservation Burial Grounds – Protected lands where burials directly support ecological preservation and land stewardship.
Families interested in this option should ask their local funeral home or search through the Green Burial Council’s certified provider directory.
Why Families Choose Green Burial
For many, green burial is more than an ecological choice—it is an act of love and legacy.
Environmental Stewardship: Reduces pollution, conserves resources, and helps restore ecosystems.
Spiritual Resonance: Honors the ancient rhythm of life returning to earth, “dust to dust.”
Simplicity: Free from ornate, costly caskets or elaborate procedures.
Connection to Place: Resting in a meadow, forest, or conservation land creates a living memorial that changes and grows with the seasons.
Traditional Burial
Traditional burial remains the most common choice in the United States, but it is also the option with some of the heaviest environmental costs.
⛔ Cons
Requires embalming. In most conventional funerals, the body is embalmed with chemicals such as formaldehyde to preserve appearance for viewing. While it may provide temporary peace of mind for families, these chemicals eventually seep into the soil, creating a toxic legacy that outlives the burial itself.
Deforestation from caskets. Each year, enough hardwood is used to build caskets to equal 4 million acres of forest. Many of these coffins are built from fine hardwoods that could otherwise be part of long-living ecosystems, meaning the loss is felt on both a symbolic and ecological level.
Chemicals in the landscape. The manicured lawns of many cemeteries often require fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides to maintain their pristine appearance. While they look tidy, they can contribute to soil and groundwater pollution.
Permanent land use. Once a cemetery is established, that land is rarely, if ever, returned to natural habitat. Over time, the accumulation of vaults, caskets, and stone markers consumes space without giving back to the surrounding ecosystem.
A sterile aesthetic. Families sometimes remark on the “manufactured” feeling of traditional cemeteries—rows of identical stones and closely clipped lawns that lack the living beauty of a natural environment. For some, this sterility can feel at odds with the vibrancy of the life being remembered.
🌱 Pros
Familiarity and tradition. For many families, traditional burial offers a sense of continuity. It connects them to generations past, honoring cultural or religious customs they’ve always known.
A permanent place of visitation. A marked grave site offers something invaluable to some families: a physical place to return to. Whether on anniversaries, holidays, or moments of longing, the graveside provides a fixed point where grief can find expression and connection.
Cremation
Cremation has become increasingly common in recent decades, chosen by more than half of families in the United States today. While it avoids some of the environmental burdens of traditional burial, it carries its own ecological footprint.
⛔ Cons
Carbon emissions. Each cremation releases roughly 534 pounds of CO₂ into the atmosphere—the equivalent of driving a car more than 500 miles. On a global scale, with millions of cremations performed annually, the climate impact is significant.
High energy use. Cremation chambers must reach temperatures of 1,400–1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, requiring an enormous amount of fossil fuel. This energy intensity is part of what makes cremation less eco-friendly than some emerging alternatives.
Air pollutants. In addition to CO₂, cremation can release trace metals and other particulates into the atmosphere, depending on dental fillings or medical implants.
🌱 Pros
No embalming fluid. Unlike traditional burial, cremation does not require embalming chemicals, sparing the soil from toxins like formaldehyde.
Space saving. Cremation avoids the permanent land use required for traditional cemeteries. Families can choose to keep ashes at home, place them in a columbarium, or scatter them in places that hold meaning.
Creative memorial options. Ashes can be scattered in meaningful natural settings, interred in a simple urn garden, incorporated into jewelry or artwork, or even placed in coral reefs and forests designed for remembrance. For families who long for something more personal or symbolic, cremation offers a wide array of choices.
Alkaline Hydrolysis (Water Cremation)
Also known as “aquamation” or “water cremation,” alkaline hydrolysis is a modern alternative that has gained traction for its eco-friendly profile. Instead of flame, it uses a gentle combination of water, heat, and alkaline solution to accelerate the natural decomposition process, reducing the body to bone fragments that are then processed into ashes.
⛔ Cons
High water use. The process requires a significant volume of water—anywhere from 100 to 300 gallons per cycle. For families concerned about water conservation, this may feel like a drawback.
Limited availability. Water cremation is legal in only about half of U.S. states (and availability varies worldwide), so families may not have access to it in their region.
New and unfamiliar. Some families are hesitant about water cremation simply because it feels unfamiliar compared to traditional burial or flame cremation. Misunderstandings about the process can also cause discomfort.
🌱 Pros
Minimal carbon footprint. Unlike traditional cremation, aquamation does not release CO₂ or harmful air pollutants into the atmosphere. Its energy use is estimated to be 1/8 of flame cremation.
No toxic chemicals. No embalming is required, and the process produces no harmful byproducts. The liquid left over is sterile and nutrient-rich, able to be safely returned to the water system.
Ashes returned. Families still receive ashes, just as they would with flame cremation, allowing for scattering, interment, or creative memorial options.
Gentler perception. Some people appreciate that water cremation feels softer and more natural than flame-based cremation, which can be emotionally comforting.
Human Composting (Natural Organic Reduction)
Human composting, also called natural organic reduction, is one of the newest eco-friendly options available. In this process, the body is placed in a vessel with organic materials such as wood chips, alfalfa, or straw. Over several weeks, controlled heat and microbial activity break the body down into nutrient-rich soil, which can then be returned to families or donated for land restoration.
⛔ Cons
Emotional hesitation. Some families struggle with the idea of composting a loved one, finding the imagery unsettling or difficult to reconcile with cultural traditions. One BONAVENTURE friend shared that she found the thought of bugs in the soil disquieting as a final resting place.
Limited access. Human composting is currently legal in only a handful of U.S. states, though interest and legislation are growing. Families outside these areas may not have this option available.
Newness of the practice. Because it is relatively new, fewer funeral homes or providers offer this service, and some religious traditions have not yet formally weighed in on its use.
🌱 Pros
Highly sustainable. Human composting produces no carbon emissions, requires no embalming fluid, and avoids the resource use of caskets or vaults. The end result is soil that can nurture trees, gardens, and natural landscapes.
Restorative. Instead of occupying land with cemeteries, this method actively contributes to the health of ecosystems. The soil can be donated to conservation efforts, helping to restore forests or revitalize degraded land.
Gentle process. Many families who have chosen this option describe it as deeply healing to see their loved one’s body return to the earth in a direct, life-giving way. For those drawn to a full-circle approach, human composting can feel both meaningful and poetic.
🌿 How to Make a Funeral Greener
In recent years, more families have begun asking a simple but profound question: How can our goodbyes leave a lighter mark on the planet? End-of-life rituals have always carried great meaning, but many of the practices that became standard in the 20th century—embalming, ornate caskets, energy-intensive cremation—carry environmental costs that can no longer be ignored.
The good news is that families today have more choices than ever before. While no single option is perfect, each decision can add up to something significant. A greener funeral is less about rejecting tradition altogether and more about making careful adjustments that reflect both love for the person being remembered and respect for the earth that sustained them.
Practical changes can be simple: opting for biodegradable caskets instead of heavy hardwood, choosing local flowers over imported arrangements, or replacing paper programs with digital memorials. For some, it may mean selecting a natural burial ground where the body returns directly to the soil, helping preserve the landscape for future generations. Others may look to emerging practices like water cremation or human composting, which offer gentler ecological footprints.
Even small steps—carpooling to services, serving locally sourced food at the reception, or planting trees in memory of the deceased—can turn a farewell into a legacy of stewardship.
In the end, making a funeral greener is about balance: honoring traditions that bring comfort while embracing innovations that safeguard the planet. Each family will find its own path, but the guiding principle is clear—our goodbyes can be as mindful and meaningful as the lives we seek to honor.
Rethink Embalming
Traditional embalming relies on formaldehyde and other chemicals that enter the soil. For those wishing to minimize environmental impact, refrigeration or the use of dry ice can provide a short-term alternative for viewing.
Consider Where the Burial Takes Place
Conservation and natural burial grounds allow a body to return directly to the earth without vaults, metal caskets, or chemicals. These spaces often double as protected landscapes, ensuring that the act of burial contributes to preservation.
Choose Simpler Caskets and Urns
Heavy hardwoods and steel caskets require considerable resources. Biodegradable materials such as wicker, bamboo, untreated pine, or cardboard are now available. For cremation, urns made to dissolve in soil or water allow remains to return to nature naturally.
Limit Energy and Travel
Services can be energy-intensive. Outdoor gatherings, carpooling, and livestreaming for distant relatives reduce both costs and carbon output. For those who must fly, carbon offsets are an emerging option.
Select Flowers Thoughtfully
Imported flowers come with high transportation costs. Local, seasonal arrangements—or even potted plants—provide beauty without the footprint. Seed packets or saplings given to guests can serve as living memorials.
Keep Printed Materials Simple
Programs and keepsakes need not be elaborate. Recycled paper, plantable seed paper, or online memorial pages offer ways to remember without excess.
Be Mindful at the Reception
Food can be an expression of care. Locally sourced menus, fewer disposable items, and plant-forward dishes align with an eco-conscious farewell.
Explore Newer Options
Some states permit alternative forms of disposition such as alkaline hydrolysis—sometimes called water cremation—or natural organic reduction, also known as human composting. Both require less energy than conventional cremation and return nutrients to the earth.
Make Legacy Part of the Plan
Finally, families can turn memorials into acts of continuity. Donations to conservation efforts, scholarships, or community projects extend a loved one’s influence beyond the service itself.
Choosing What’s Right for Your Family
There’s no one “best” option for every family—only what feels right for your values, traditions, and sense of legacy. For some, the permanence of a cemetery offers peace; for others, scattering ashes or returning to soil reflects a life lived in harmony with the natural world.
What matters most is that the choice feels healing for you and honoring for your loved one. If you are considering a green burial or simply want to learn more about eco-friendly funeral practices, the Green Burial Council is an excellent resource.
