Omliva organizes practical information. This guide is general information for the United States, not legal, tax, financial or medical advice.
A short note before you start
This guide is general information for the United States, not legal, tax, financial or medical advice. Cemetery rules and state laws both shape what a family can choose, so confirm specifics with the cemetery and, for land or estate questions, a local attorney.
What is green burial?
Green burial, also called natural burial, buries a body without embalming, in a biodegradable container, without a concrete or metal vault, so the body decomposes naturally and returns nutrients to the soil. The Green Burial Council describes the goal as caring for the dead with minimal environmental impact, aiding conservation, reducing carbon emissions, protecting worker safety, and restoring or preserving habitat1.
It is not new: Jewish, Muslim and Baha'i traditions have used unembalmed bodies, simple shrouds and direct earth burial for centuries1. What is new is a formal certification system letting a family compare cemeteries against a consistent standard, instead of marketing language alone.
What is a green burial, in practice?
The person is not embalmed, or is embalmed with formaldehyde-free fluid if a delay is unavoidable. The body goes into a biodegradable casket (pine, wicker, bamboo or cardboard) or a natural-fiber shroud, with no vault around it. The grave is often marked with a native stone, a plant or a GPS coordinate instead of an upright headstone.
What is the Green Burial Council, and what does certification mean?
The Green Burial Council (GBC) is the nonprofit that sets third-party standards for cemeteries, funeral homes and burial products, so a family can tell what a "green" claim actually means1. GBC certifies cemeteries in three tiers.
Hybrid burial grounds
A conventional cemetery with a green section, or option throughout: no vault required, biodegradable containers such as shrouds and soft-wood caskets allowed. This is the most common entry point1.
Natural burial grounds
Meets the hybrid standard across the whole property, banning embalming chemicals, vaults, and non-biodegradable markers or containers everywhere, with required site planning and a preservation survey1.
Conservation burial grounds
Meets the natural standard and adds a conservation partnership: land permanently protected by easement or deed restriction, with fees helping fund habitat restoration, so the cemetery also functions as a preserve1.
How much does a green burial cost, and how does it compare to a conventional funeral?
A green burial plot typically costs $1,000 to $4,000, and funeral home charges average around $2,000, though they can run higher5. It usually costs less than a conventional burial because it skips embalming, a sealed casket, and a vault, the largest line items on a funeral bill.
For comparison, the NFDA's most recent complete General Price List study put the median cost of a conventional funeral with viewing and burial at $8,300, and with viewing and cremation at $6,280; neither includes the cemetery plot, vault, or grave marker6.
| Item | Conventional funeral | Green burial |
|---|---|---|
| Embalming | Often included or offered | Not used, or formaldehyde-free if needed |
| Casket | Metal, sealed | Biodegradable wood, wicker or shroud |
| Vault | Concrete, often required by the cemetery | Not used; not required by any state law |
| Median funeral home charge | $8,300 with burial; $6,280 with cremation (NFDA, 2023 study) | About $2,000 (Funeral Consumers Alliance) |
| Cemetery plot | Varies by cemetery and region | $1,000 to $4,000 (Funeral Consumers Alliance) |
Ask any cemetery for a full, itemized price list before you decide. The FTC's Funeral Rule gives every consumer the right to a written, itemized price list, and to get prices by phone without giving your name4. See our funeral planning checklist for what to ask for and compare.
What are the rules on embalming, caskets and vaults?
No state law requires routine embalming for every death; some states require it, or refrigeration, only if the body will not be buried or cremated within a set number of hours, and the Funeral Rule bars a funeral home from falsely claiming embalming is legally required4. No state or local law requires a casket either; a family can use a shroud, a plain box, or a casket bought elsewhere, and a funeral home cannot charge an extra handling fee for one it did not sell4.
Vaults work the same way: no state or federal law requires one, and where a cemetery requires it, that is the cemetery's own policy, not a legal mandate5. Because most conventional cemeteries require a vault to keep the ground from settling, legality and availability are two different questions: state law may allow an unembalmed, vault-free burial while your chosen cemetery does not. Get the cemetery's written policy on caskets, vaults and grave depth first.
Skipping embalming also removes a real occupational exposure: formaldehyde is classified as carcinogenic, and OSHA caps embalmers' exposure at 0.75 parts per million averaged over 8 hours under 29 CFR 1910.10488.
How does green burial vary by state?
State law governs embalming/refrigeration timing, how long you have before disposition, and whether burial is allowed on private property. All three vary by state, so treat the table below as a starting point.
Source for every row: New Hampshire Funeral Directors Association (NHFDA), Legal Requirements by State, checked 2026-09-21.
| State | What state law generally requires | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | Established cemetery required; a special family-plot permit may be available | NHFDA |
| Indiana | Established cemetery required; family-plot permit possible | NHFDA |
| Louisiana | Established cemetery required; a licensed funeral director must also supervise disposition | NHFDA |
| Washington | Burial must be in an established cemetery | NHFDA |
| District of Columbia | Home burial not allowed, citing space constraints; disposition required within one week | NHFDA |
| New Hampshire | Home burial allowed: 50 ft from a water source, 100 ft from buildings, 50 ft from highways; professionally cared-for bodies embalmed, encased or refrigerated after 48 hours | NHFDA |
| Connecticut | Home burial allowed: 600 ft from buildings, half a mile from a reservoir; licensed funeral director must supervise | NHFDA |
| Vermont | Home burial allowed, 200 ft from drilled wells | NHFDA |
| North Carolina | Embalming not allowed when death was caused by certain communicable diseases | NHFDA |
| North Dakota | Embalming required if disposition will not happen within 24 hours; all dispositions must occur within 8 days | NHFDA |
Even where home burial is legal, county zoning and well or septic setbacks can still apply, so check with your county first.
How do I find a green burial cemetery?
Search the Green Burial Council's provider directory by state for cemeteries and funeral homes holding hybrid, natural or conservation certification1. The Funeral Consumers Alliance also lists confirmed green cemeteries by state; more than 90 operate across the United States and Canada5. Certification is voluntary, so ask directly what a cemetery prohibits and requires rather than assuming a "natural" or "green" claim on its website matches the GBC standard.
Step-by-step: how to plan a green burial
- Decide between a hybrid section, a fully natural burial ground, or a conservation burial ground, based on cost, location, or land preservation.
- Call two or three cemeteries for their written policy: is embalming banned or just not required, is a vault required, which containers are allowed, what is the grave depth.
- Ask for an itemized price list from the cemetery and the funeral home, using your rights under the FTC's Funeral Rule4.
- Choose a biodegradable container, a shroud or a wicker, willow or untreated wood casket, from any retailer; the funeral home cannot charge extra for handling it4.
- Put any wish to avoid embalming in writing; the funeral home must disclose if it requires embalming for a viewing and explain why4.
- Considering private property? Check state law, county zoning, and well or septic setback rules first, using the state table above as a starting point.
- Record the choice and the cemetery's name and policy in a household binder so the family is not starting from scratch during a loss.
What should you record in a family guide?
The details a family needs are simple but easy to lose track of: the cemetery's name, address and plot location; the funeral home chosen and whether it has handled green burial before; whether a casket or shroud is prepaid; and any written instructions about embalming or a viewing. This is the kind of information a family guide keeps in one place, so no one is calling around for a cemetery's policy while grieving. See /your-guide/ for how Omliva organizes this alongside the rest of a family's essential information.
What mistakes do families commonly make?
- Assuming "green" or "natural" on a sign means GBC certification. Ask what standard, if any, applies.
- Choosing a casket or shroud before confirming the cemetery's container rules.
- Not asking about grave depth and marker rules in advance; natural grounds often use flat native stones or GPS coordinates instead of headstones.
- Planning a home burial without checking county zoning and well-setback rules, which can create problems at resale even where state law allows it.
- Forgetting that a funeral home cannot require payment for embalming, or other body preparation, once you have declined it4.
When to get professional help
Talk to an attorney before planning burial on private property, especially to establish a family cemetery, since state and county rules interact with zoning and resale disclosures. Confirm any container, vault or marker choice with the cemetery in writing, since policies vary even within a state. A funeral home that pressures you toward embalming or a vault you did not agree to, or refuses a written price list, is violating the Funeral Rule, and you can report it to the FTC4.
Frequently asked questions
What is green burial?
Green burial buries a body without embalming, in a biodegradable container, without a concrete or metal vault, so it can decompose naturally. It is certified by the Green Burial Council in three tiers: hybrid, natural, and conservation, depending on how much of the cemetery follows green practices and whether the land is permanently protected1.
What is the Green Burial Council?
The Green Burial Council is the nonprofit organization that sets voluntary, third-party certification standards for cemeteries, funeral homes and burial products, so families can tell a genuinely certified green option from one that only uses the word "green" in its marketing1.
What is a green burial cemetery, exactly?
A certified green burial cemetery is one that has met GBC's written standards for its tier: a hybrid cemetery bans vaults and requires biodegradable containers in its green section; a natural burial ground applies that everywhere on the property; and a conservation burial ground adds permanent land protection through an easement1.
How much does a green burial cost?
A green burial plot typically runs $1,000 to $4,000, with funeral home charges averaging around $2,000, though costs vary by cemetery, region and the services a family chooses5. That is usually less than the $8,300 median cost of a conventional funeral with viewing and burial reported in the NFDA's most recent complete price study6.
Do I have to buy a vault for a green burial?
No state or federal law requires a burial vault. If a cemetery requires one, that is the cemetery's own rule, not a legal requirement, so ask directly whether the cemetery's green section waives the vault requirement5.
Can I be buried on my own property?
It depends on your state and county. Most states allow burial on private property outside an established cemetery, though a handful, including Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Washington and the District of Columbia, generally require an established cemetery or a special family-plot permit9. Check state law and county zoning before making a plan.
Is cremation a green option?
Cremation and green burial are different choices. Green burial avoids embalming, sealed caskets and vaults and lets a body decompose naturally in the ground; cremation uses heat to reduce the body to bone fragments and does not involve burial at all. Families comparing the two on cost can see our guide to direct cremation prices alongside the cost figures above.
Sources
- Green Burial Council, greenburialcouncil.org: What Is Green Burial: Benefits, Practices & Options Checked 2026-09-21
- Green Burial Council, greenburialcouncil.org: Certification Standards for Green Burial Checked 2026-09-21
- Green Burial Council, greenburialcouncil.org: Green Burial FAQ and Planning Tips Checked 2026-09-21
- Federal Trade Commission, consumer.ftc.gov: The FTC Funeral Rule Checked 2026-09-21
- Funeral Consumers Alliance, funerals.org: Green Burial & Other Environmentally Friendly Choices Checked 2026-09-21
- National Funeral Directors Association, nfda.org: Green Burial Resources for Funeral Professionals Checked 2026-09-21
- National Funeral Directors Association, content.nfda.org: 2023 NFDA General Price List Study Shows Inflation Increasing Faster than the Cost of a Funeral Checked 2026-09-21
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration, osha.gov: Formaldehyde exposure and ergonomic hazards in the embalming/funeral home industry Checked 2026-09-21
- New Hampshire Funeral Directors Association, nhfuneral.org: Legal Requirements by State Checked 2026-09-21