Three top defining characteristics of a natural burial:
1. Absence of vault
2. Non-toxic preparation of the deceased (no embalming)
3. Containers made of biodegradable materials: caskets, shrouds, and urns
Green burial funerals provide families with a rich, meaningful, and healing experience while fathering legitimate environmental and societal aims.
Why choose Green Burial?
Simplicity: The idea of wrapping the deceased in a shroud or placing it in a plain, unadorned coffin appeals to those who prefer their burial arrangement to be simple and natural.
Lower Cost: Because green burials do not involve embalming, fancy caskets, or concrete vaults, green burial is a cost-effective alternative to conventional burials.
Conserving Natural Resources: Each year US cemeteries bury over 90,000 tons of steel in caskets, 17,000 tons of steel and copper in vaults, and 1.6 million tons of reinforced concrete in vaults. With green burial, fewer resources are used.
Eliminating hazardous chemicals: Forgoing the embalming process is one main attraction, since embalming fluid contains formaldehyde a known cancer causing agent. In the US about 856,000 gallons of embalming fluid are used yearly, and funeral home workers are exposed to its toxic effect.
Preserving natural areas: Love of nature and a desire for "eternal rest" in a forever wild area is a main reason for choosing green burial. The burial sites restore or preserve a natural landscape population by native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers.
For more information please visit the Green Burial Council Website.