There are many death care options in other locations, and reasons why you might need to know about them. What if you die away from Massachusetts? Or wish to choose an alternative method of body disposition that is not yet offered in Massachusetts?

Let’s begin with traveling…

Death Away from Home: See the national Funeral Consumers Alliance’s helpful page with advice about death in foreign countries, and also death while traveling the US, away from home.

Or the reverse situation, when someone dies in Massachusetts after traveling here from their home in a foreign land. Funeral homes know how to help. For example, a funeral home in the Boston area specializes in international funeral shipping for help with these tasks: “removal of the deceased from the place of death, acquisition and completion of all documents required by the receiving country, coordination of airline flights, a sealer metal casket, a TSA-approved shipping container, delivery to a local international airport, supervision onto the deceased’s international flight, and communication with the receiving country funeral provider.”

Next, let’s consider some new options

New options have emerged elsewhere, but haven’t yet been legalized here. (Bills are pending in the MA legislature, but the process may take years.) With proper permits, a body can be transported across state lines, so these options are real.

Alkaline Hydrolysis, also known as water cremation or aquamation, is now legal in 28 states. Water, alkaline chemicals, and heat reduce a body to bones, which are then rinsed, dried and pulverized into ash-like remains. Compared to flame cremation, this process is more environmentally friendly, using less fuel, reducing air pollution, and avoiding release of toxic mercury from dental fillings. For a basic overview of the process and the status of state laws, see Nolo’s Alkaline Hydrolysis state-by-state.

Natural Organic Reduction (N.O.R.), also known as Human Composting, has been available since late 2020 in Washington state. There are several companies that offer this service and accept bodies from any of the 50 states. (There may be extra cost, of course, for cross-country transport of the body.) For an overview of the process and list of states that have approved it, see Human Composting as a New Death Care Alternative.  As of April 2026, 14 states have approved it, though there may not (yet) be businesses up and running to offer N.O.R. in each of these states. In May 2026 N.O.R. facilities opened in Maryland and in southern Vermont.

Or, consider conventional options in neighboring states...

Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine DO have some CREMATION services and funeral homes that operate not far from Massachusetts and routinely promote these services to adjacent regions of our state. Examples: If you live in Berkshire County, consider the Cremation Society of Vermont, which offers a membership for $30 and welcomes Berkshire County families. The Cremation Society of New Hampshire also offers memberships to MA families.