What makes a burial “green”?
Green burial aims to reduce environmental impact through body care, biodegradable materials, and cemetery management. It generally avoids conventional embalming and a burial vault. A simple casket or shroud may be used. Ask what a particular cemetery means by “green”: the label alone does not describe all its practices.
Read more: Green Burial Council · What is green burial?
Different places offer different approaches
A hybrid cemetery offers green burial within a conventional cemetery. Natural burial grounds focus on natural burial, while conservation burial adds land-protection commitments. These are Green Burial Council categories; ask about a site’s own standards and any certification.
Read more: Green Burial Council · What is green burial?
Imagine the visit and the gathering
Ask about paths, seating, shade, weather, toilets, and access for people with limited mobility. Check how the grave is recorded and marked, what flowers or objects are permitted, and whether your family can take part in the ceremony. An outdoor setting should work for the people attending, too.
A choice to explore, without pressure
You can care about environmental impact and still have other needs to balance. Ask specific questions about materials, travel, and land care rather than relying on a promise that an option has no impact.
Questions to talk through
You don’t need answers to all of these. Keep any that might help your family.
- What environmental priorities matter most to us?
- Can the site accommodate everyone who wants to attend?
- How is the grave marked, maintained, and found on a later visit?
Kept on this browser only, until you choose to bring them into the planning prototype.
Open our planning prototype