Understanding Burial Options: Traditional, Green, and Natural Burial

When you're making burial decisions—whether planning ahead or after a loss—clear information helps you move forward. This guide explains traditional, green, and natural burial in practical terms: what they involve, what they cost, and how to choose what fits your values, budget, and location.

Key Terms Explained

Traditional burial (also called conventional burial) typically involves embalming the body, placing it in a metal or hardwood casket, and interring it in a concrete vault within a manicured cemetery with upright monuments.

Green burial and natural burial are often used interchangeably. Both skip embalming and use biodegradable containers like wicker, bamboo, untreated wood, or shrouds. Graves are shallower to support natural decomposition. Markers are flat or natural. No vaults. Cemeteries use native plants with minimal irrigation and chemicals.

Terms you'll encounter:

• Embalming: Chemical preservation; generally not legally required for burial
• Refrigeration/dry ice: Alternatives to embalming for short-term preservation
• Vault/liner: Concrete or metal outer container many cemeteries require to prevent ground settling
• Interment rights: Right to bury in a plot, different from land ownership
• Opening/closing fee: Cost to dig and close the grave

Why Burial Choices Are Changing

According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the 2025 cremation rate is projected at 63.4%, while traditional burial has declined to 31.6%. Green and natural burials remain a smaller but growing segment.

Families are reconsidering options due to:

• Rising costs: Traditional burial expenses continue increasing
• Environmental concerns: Many want to minimize their final footprint
• Simplicity: Fewer chemicals and materials appeal to some
• Availability: Cemetery access and location matter

In 2025, 61.4% of consumers expressed interest in green funeral options for environmental benefits or cost savings, up from 55.7% in 2021. This growing demand has expanded availability, though access remains uneven across regions.

Traditional Burial: What's Typically Involved

Body care: Embalming is common for viewings but not legally required in most states (median cost: $845). Refrigeration or dry ice work as alternatives.

Services: Families often hold viewings at funeral homes, followed by funeral services. These adapt to cultural or religious needs.

Casket: Metal or treated hardwood (median: $2,500). Designed for durability, not decomposition.

Vault requirement: Most conventional cemeteries require vaults or grave liners (median: $1,695) to maintain landscape integrity. This is cemetery policy, not state law in most cases.

Interment: Graves run 5-6 feet deep. Cemeteries maintain manicured grass with regular mowing, irrigation, and sometimes pesticides.

National median cost (2023): $8,300 excluding vault, or $9,995 including vault. Regional variation is significant—Northeast burials average $8,500-$9,000 while Southern states see $6,700-$8,000.

Where it varies: Cemetery rules differ widely on vault types, marker sizes, burial timing, and grave depths. Always request written policies.

Green and Natural Burial: The Key Differences

Core features:

• No embalming: Bodies are refrigerated or preserved with dry ice
• Biodegradable containers: Shrouds, wicker, bamboo, or untreated wood with no metal hardware or toxic finishes
• No vaults: Graves remain free of concrete or metal liners
• Shallower graves: Around 3 feet deep to support microbial activity
• Natural markers: Flat stones, native plantings, or GPS coordinates replace monuments
• Minimal maintenance: Native grasses reduce water, fertilizer, and pesticide use

Legality: Green burial is legal in all 50 states, but local cemetery policies and zoning rules control availability. Some jurisdictions restrict burial depth, setbacks from water sources, or marker types. Always verify local regulations.

Finding providers: The Green Burial Council certifies providers meeting strict environmental standards. Their cemetery provider map helps locate verified options.

Cost advantage: Green burial often costs 20-50% less by avoiding embalming, vaults, and expensive caskets. However, green cemetery plots can be comparable to conventional ones, especially at conservation burial grounds that fund land stewardship.

Environmental Impact: The Facts

Traditional burial:

• Uses approximately 4.3 million gallons of embalming fluid annually in the U.S.
• Formaldehyde can leach into soil and groundwater
• Concrete vaults and metal caskets consume resources and slow decomposition
• Cemetery maintenance requires water, fuel, and sometimes pesticides
• Estimated carbon footprint: ~250 pounds CO2 equivalent per burial

Green/natural burial:

• Eliminates embalming chemicals
• No vaults or non-biodegradable materials
• Promotes natural decomposition, returning nutrients to soil
• Conservation grounds protect habitat and biodiversity
• Estimated carbon sequestration: ~25 pounds net per burial
• Significantly lower resource consumption

Cemetery Types and What They Allow

Conventional cemetery: Manicured lawns, often require vaults, allow upright monuments. Some offer green sections.

Hybrid cemetery: Conventional cemetery with designated green burial areas. Expands access in regions lacking dedicated green cemeteries.

Natural/green cemetery: Dedicated to green practices throughout. No vaults, native landscaping, biodegradable containers only.

Conservation cemetery: Partners with land trusts to permanently protect habitat while providing green burial.

VA national cemeteries: Three sites offer green burial pilot sections (Phoenix, AZ; Colorado Springs, CO; Bushnell, FL). These accept biodegradable caskets or shrouds, prohibit embalming, use native plants, and employ flat granite markers. Standard VA eligibility applies. Veterans can also use green practices in non-green sections at any VA cemetery, though maintenance and marker rules differ.

What's Required vs. Optional

Embalming: Not legally required for burial in most jurisdictions. Exceptions include interstate/international transport or specific public health situations. Refrigeration or dry ice work for viewings.

Vaults/liners: Typically cemetery policy, not state law. Green cemeteries prohibit them. Always ask: "Is this required by law, by cemetery policy, or recommended practice?" Request written justification.

Caskets: No state requires caskets for burial. Shrouds alone are legal in most places, though cemeteries may have container policies.

How to Decide: A Practical Framework

Identify your priorities:

• Budget ceiling
• Geographic location
• Religious or cultural requirements
• Environmental importance
• Timeline constraints

Confirm feasibility:

• Search the Green Burial Council provider map
• Call local cemeteries about green burial availability
• Verify state or local restrictions

Separate burial from memorial:

• Choose burial type first
• Plan services separately for flexibility on timing and cost

Compare costs:

• Request funeral home General Price Lists (legally required)
• Obtain cemetery fee schedules
• Compare line items, not packages

Essential Questions for Providers

About requirements:

• What's required by state law versus your cemetery policy?
• Are vaults required? Can we use a shroud instead of a casket?
• Are biodegradable containers approved?

About timing and care:

• What options exist besides embalming?
• How long can we wait between death and burial?
• Do you offer refrigeration? Is there an added fee?

About costs:

• Can we see itemized General Price Lists and cemetery fee schedules?
• Which fees go to the funeral home versus the cemetery?
• Are there separate charges for opening/closing the grave or markers?

For green burial:

• Do you follow recognized green burial standards or certification?
• What makes your green burial option "green"?
• What marker options exist?

Making Your Choice

Traditional burial fits if you:

• Value permanent monuments and conventional aesthetics
• Can accommodate higher costs
• Don't prioritize environmental impact

Green/natural burial fits if you:

• Prioritize minimal environmental impact
• Prefer natural landscapes
• Want to avoid embalming chemicals and vaults

Hybrid approach fits if you:

• Need a conventional cemetery for family reasons
• Want greener body care and container choices
• Seek middle ground on cost and impact

Next Steps

1. Search the Green Burial Council provider maps for certified cemeteries near you
2. Call three local cemeteries to ask about green burial availability and request written policies
3. Request itemized General Price Lists from funeral homes
4. Verify any state-specific restrictions through your state funeral board
5. Discuss priorities with family before meeting providers

Helpful Resources

National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA): Cost data and industry trends at nfda.org

Green Burial Council: Certification standards and provider directories at greenburialcouncil.org

Conservation Burial Alliance: Standards for conservation burial grounds at conservationburialalliance.org

VA National Cemetery Administration: Green burial pilot program details at cem.va.gov/green-burial

These organizations provide authoritative information to help you verify local options and make informed decisions. Remember to confirm all details with licensed professionals in your area, as cemetery policies vary widely even within the same state.