Scrub Hub: What is a green burial? (Yes, it involves decomposing into the earth)

Sarah Bowman, Indianapolis Star
·5 min read

Environmentally-friendly options are everywhere these days: paper straws, reusable bags, LED lights, rechargeable batteries, metal water bottles and more. The list goes on and on.

And now, it includes sustainable options for green funerals and burials for those who still want to reduce their impact on the environment, even after death.

For many years, disposition of human remains has been thought of in two ways. Families could either have a traditional burial or have their loved ones be cremated. Now, however, more options continue to become available, particularly for those looking for environmentally-focused alternatives.

We at IndyStar recently wrote a story about a bill in this year’s legislative session that would make what is called alkaline hydrolysis legal here in Indiana. This process is often referred to as water cremation and is understood to be a greener form of disposition.

The green burial (natural burial) section of a cemetery is pictured. In traditional burials, caskets are often buried within a concrete vault. But for green burials, there is no such lining and bodies are placed in biodegradable containers to be able to naturally decompose into the earth.
The green burial (natural burial) section of a cemetery is pictured. In traditional burials, caskets are often buried within a concrete vault. But for green burials, there is no such lining and bodies are placed in biodegradable containers to be able to naturally decompose into the earth.

After that story, we heard questions from readers on this very topic. That brings us to this week’s edition of the Scrub Hub where we will be looking at the questions: What is a green burial? And how do I have one?

To find the answers, we spoke with the president of the Green Burial Council, a national nonprofit that works on educating individuals and families on the options.

The answer: Various shades of green burials

Green burial can mean different things to different people — to some, it means a very specific form of disposition, but to others it encompasses the broader umbrella of sustainable options for after-death care.

The Green Burial Council talks about “any form of disposition that reduces impact on the environment,” said Sam Perry, president of the national group. “We want to conserve land, protect natural resources and protect worker health, too.”

Perry, who also is a licensed funeral director in Indiana and Illinois, said the group also is working to change the term from green to natural burial, noting there can be negative connotations with use of the term “green.” It also better represents what these options are and what they provide for families, he said.

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Still, the GBC works with a particular definition of green or natural burial. For their organization, a natural burial focuses on three key elements that differ from the conventional version.

The first factor is how the body is prepared. In a traditional burial, bodies are often embalmed with a mixture of chemicals such as formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde and other solvents. In a natural burial, that doesn’t happen and bodies typically are not embalmed, Perry said.

The second element of a natural burial is the container in which the body is buried. Usually, bodies are buried in a metal casket or one that is wood but lacquered and treated with other chemicals. These materials do not easily or readily break down.

With natural burials, bodies are placed in containers that will biodegrade. Perry said that can include caskets made from wicker or bamboo, for example, or even a simple pine box that is untreated.

The last aspect that makes for a natural burial is where the bodies are buried — as in what type of cemetery. Many cemeteries bury their caskets in vaults or liners, often made of concrete, which are meant to be protective receptacles. That very characteristic, however, goes against allowing bodies to decompose as part of a natural burial.

Some cemeteries are considered hybrid and allow for both natural and traditional burials whereas others are purely focused on natural burials.

It’s these elements — the lack of chemicals, non-biodegradable materials, as well as minimal carbon footprint as compared to cremation — that explain why natural burials are considered an environmentally-friendly option.

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According to Perry, green burials are allowed in every state, including Indiana. That said, there are still accessibility issues for such services across the country.

Most of that comes from rules of funeral homes and cemeteries, Perry said. Some funeral homes, for example, have a rule that a body must be embalmed for public viewing. And some cemeteries require a concrete vault when burying a body. That’s why Perry’s organization works just as much on educating families about these options as those in the death care industry, he said.

Some of the initial concerns or pushback were around both a lack of awareness as well as questions on the potential environmental impacts of the areas around where natural burials take place. Research thus far, however, has shown no negative impacts, Perry said. There also are regulations in place to help protect waterways and other natural resources.

In recent years, Perry has seen significant growth in both public interest and demand in natural burials and other sustainable disposition options. In response, he also is seeing more funeral homes and cemeteries wanting to learn more in how to offer natural services.

“People who come to natural burial usually are more comfortable with that natural decomposition and the breakdown of the body and going back to nature,” Perry said. “It’s the idea that we aren’t separate from nature, but we are part of it.”

There are other types of sustainable after-death options that also are becoming more popular. These include the water cremation IndyStar previously wrote about or another process called human composting. While still a better alternative to traditional burial or cremation, Perry said, both of these options also have their drawbacks — such as water and energy usage. Both of these options are legal in some states across the country, but not currently here in Indiana.

The Green Burial Council has a list on its website of funeral homes and cemeteries in each state that it has certified to perform natural services, including several in Indiana. And more continue to go through the process to be added.

“The big takeaway is that everything we do has an impact on the environment,” Perry said, “and anything we can do to reduce that impact is for the greater good.”

If you have any more questions about green burials or any other sustainable alternatives, please ask us! You can submit a question to the Scrub Hub through the Google form below.

Call IndyStar reporter Sarah Bowman at 317-444-6129 or email at sarah.bowman@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Connect with IndyStar’s environmental reporters: Join The Scrub on Facebook.

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Green burials grow in popularity as people want sustainable options