A green burial uses no embalming, no metal casket, and no burial liner or vault; the marker, if used, is typically flat and level with the ground. Proponents often refer to it as “traditional” or "natural" burial because it reclaims the more natural way in which nearly all were buried prior to the Civil War—one that is still used by much of the world’s population. Because only biodegradable materials are used, in green burial a human body and its burial container eventually enrich the soil. For more information, visit the Green Burial Massachusetts website, which includes a searchable database of cemeteries, indicating which ones permit green burial.

There are some other environmentally-friendly methods that currently exist in other parts of the United States.  See our page “Options Elsewhere" to read about "water cremation” (Alkaline Hydrolysis) and human composting (Natural Organic Reduction, aka N.O.R., Terramation, or soil transformation).