A green funeral is any end-of-life arrangement designed to minimize environmental impact. That can mean skipping embalming chemicals, choosing a biodegradable casket or shroud, or selecting a burial method that returns the body to the earth as naturally as possible. The term covers a wide spectrum, from simple changes to a traditional funeral all the way to newer options like body composting and water-based cremation.
What Makes a Funeral “Green”
Conventional funerals typically involve three things that carry a significant environmental cost: embalming fluid (which contains formaldehyde, a known carcinogen), hardwood or metal caskets that resist decomposition, and concrete burial vaults that seal the body away from soil. A green funeral removes some or all of these elements. At its simplest, it means choosing not to embalm, using a plain wooden or wicker casket, and burying without a vault so the body can decompose naturally.
There’s no single certification or legal definition for “green funeral,” so the term gets applied broadly. Some families make one or two eco-conscious swaps within an otherwise traditional service. Others go fully natural, handling the body at home and burying on protected land. The degree of green is up to you.
Natural Burial
Natural burial is the most common form of green funeral. The body is not embalmed and is placed in a biodegradable container, often a simple pine box, a woven willow casket, or a cotton or linen shroud. No concrete vault lines the grave. The goal is to let the body decompose and rejoin the soil the way it would have for most of human history.
Natural burial grounds look different from conventional cemeteries. Instead of rows of polished headstones, graves are typically marked with flat native stones, trees, or GPS coordinates. The landscape is maintained as meadow or woodland rather than mowed lawn. Some natural cemeteries allow you to visit a gravesite but deliberately keep the setting wild.
Conservation Burial
Conservation burial takes natural burial a step further by tying each burial directly to land preservation. Conservation burial grounds operate in partnership with land trusts or conservancies, and every burial fee helps fund long-term ecological restoration. The land is protected by a legal conservation easement, meaning it can never be developed. The goal isn’t just a low-impact burial but actively preserving native ecosystems, protecting wildlife habitat, and restoring landscapes. For families who care about leaving a lasting environmental legacy, this is the most purposeful option.
Body Preservation Without Embalming
One of the first practical questions in a green funeral is how to keep the body in good condition between death and burial without using formaldehyde-based embalming fluid. Several effective methods exist.
Dry ice is the most traditional approach. Blocks of frozen carbon dioxide are placed on the body, freezing tissue on contact at roughly negative 96 degrees. The ice needs to be replaced about every 24 hours, but it works well in the vast majority of cases and requires no special permits. Refrigeration is the other main option. Funeral homes use refrigerated lockers, and portable refrigerated beds or cooling pads can be brought into a home if the family wants to keep the body there before burial. Neither method introduces chemicals into the body, which is the whole point.
Human Composting
Human composting, formally called natural organic reduction, is one of the newest green funeral options. The body is placed in a vessel with organic materials like wood chips, straw, and alfalfa. Over a period of several weeks, microbes break the body down into nutrient-rich soil. Families typically receive about a cubic yard of finished compost, which they can use in a garden, spread on land, or donate to conservation projects.
This option is still only legal in a handful of U.S. states: California, Colorado, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. Availability is expanding, but if you live outside these states, it isn’t currently an option without transporting the body across state lines to a licensed facility.
Water Cremation
Water cremation, known technically as alkaline hydrolysis, uses water, alkaline chemicals, heat, and pressure to accelerate the same decomposition that would happen naturally in a grave, just compressed into hours instead of years. The process leaves behind bone fragments (similar to what flame cremation produces) and a sterile liquid containing only salts, sugars, and amino acids. No tissue or DNA remains.
The bone fragments are processed into a fine powder and returned to the family, just like traditional cremation ashes. The liquid effluent is sterile and can be safely returned to the water system. Water cremation uses significantly less energy than flame cremation and produces no direct emissions from burning fossil fuels or mercury from dental fillings. It’s legal in a growing number of U.S. states, though not yet universally available.
Cost Compared to Traditional Funerals
Green funerals are generally less expensive than conventional ones, sometimes dramatically so. A traditional funeral in the U.S. averages over $7,000 before cemetery costs, largely because of the casket, embalming, and vault. A natural burial in a shroud or simple casket can cost a fraction of that, since you’re eliminating the most expensive line items. Human composting and water cremation tend to fall somewhere in between, depending on the provider and location.
That said, conservation burial grounds sometimes charge higher plot fees because the money funds land stewardship in perpetuity. And newer options like human composting are still offered by a small number of facilities, which can limit price competition. It’s worth getting itemized pricing from providers, since costs vary widely by region.
Legal Considerations
The legal landscape for green funerals depends heavily on where you live. In most U.S. states, you are not legally required to be embalmed, and you can choose a simple container instead of an expensive casket. Those two facts alone make a basic green funeral possible almost anywhere.
Burial on private land is more complicated. Some states, like California, require burial in established cemeteries. Others allow private land burial in rural areas if you get approval from your county zoning department. If you’re interested in a home burial or backyard burial, contact your local municipal or county zoning office first. You may need to establish a family cemetery, which involves specific setback distances from water sources and property lines.
For newer methods like human composting and water cremation, legality varies state by state and is changing quickly. If a particular method matters to you, check current laws in your state or work with a funeral home that specializes in green options. Many green funeral directors can walk you through what’s permitted in your area and handle the logistics for methods that require transporting the body to another state.
How to Plan a Green Funeral
Start by deciding which elements matter most to you. Some people care primarily about avoiding embalming chemicals. Others want their burial to directly protect land. Others want the smallest possible carbon footprint, which might point toward water cremation or composting. There’s no single “right” version of a green funeral.
Look for cemeteries certified by the Green Burial Council, which sets standards for natural and conservation burial grounds across the U.S. If you want a home funeral, many states allow families to handle the body themselves without a funeral director, though the rules vary. A growing number of funeral homes now specialize in green services and can coordinate everything from body preservation with dry ice to burial in a natural cemetery. Putting your preferences in writing, whether through a will, advance directive, or simple letter to your family, is the most reliable way to ensure your wishes are followed.