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A standard burial usually begins with embalming your body,
Embalming is common practice in the U.S. It is rarely done in other countries. The process involves draining all of the fluids and blood from the body and replacing them with a chemical solution to slow down decomposition. It's important to know that embalming is not required by law, nor does it “sanitize” a body, or make it safer to be around. Dead bodies pose no public health risk. Embalming can be a helpful option if a body needs to be sent to a different country, or a family needs extra time to arrange a funeral. As an alternative, refrigeration can be used to delay the decomposition process.
...then placing it in a casket,
Most caskets are made from hardwood, metals, and other synthetic materials. While some “sealer,” “protective,” or “gasketed” models may claim to preserve bodies by hermetically sealing them, the lack of air can create an environment that results in accelerated decomposition. No amount of embalming or special caskets can prevent decay; our bodies will eventually decompose as nature intended us to.
which is then laid inside a concrete vault or grave liner,
Before a body is buried in a modern cemetery, a concrete vault or grave liner will be installed in the earth to prevent the ground above from moving, making it easier to maintain the landscape.
and finally buried in a cemetery or graveyard.
Most cemeteries are independently owned businesses that can create their own rules and policies. This may include strict rules about the types of grave markers or tombstones that can be used, what types of items can be left at a grave and for how long, etc.
Traditional burial is rather expensive.
In addition to paying for a casket, a vault, and an embalming, there are cemetery costs and frequent hidden fees - making this option frequently cost between $8-12,000.
This is the least environmentally friendly way to be interred. It's also unsustainable.
Each year,Americans put into the ground:
A primary appeal of traditional burial is the involvement of family and friends of the deceased.
Some feel alienated by the spectacle, especially that of the embalmed body.
Achieving a 'sense of closure' gets mixed results with traditional burial.
Another appeal of traditional burial is its embrace and encouragement from American churches.
Many Christians consider traditional burial their only option - in fact, and the Catholic church required it until 1963.
Yet this is not an option for a Jewish Orthodox or Muslim burial, as embalming is required, and the interment usually takes more than 24 hours.
Traditional burial is ubiquitous across America.
That said, space in cemeteries and graveyards is running out, and the Earth is a finite resource.
Interested? Then plan ahead:
60% of Americans can't name a funeral home they would choose for the unexpected death of a loved one.
Like any interment option, if this is your choice you should make it known and clearly state your intentions. There may be family plots, a shared church cemetery, tradition to follow. There may also be a strong cultural preference. Think about what's most important to you.
Embalming, a hardwood or metal casket, a vault or grave liner, and interment in a cemetery.
More than any other method, it allows you to cede complete control to a Funeral Director, who takes the body away, arranges transportation, and has the bereaved choose between casket options.
Absolutely, but you'll want to plan ahead.
Yes. This is usually in the form of a maintenance fee.
Not recommended, unless you're a fan of burping coffins or corpse flies.
Cremation uses fire to break down the muscles, tissues and bones of the human body.
Embalming is not required by law. To ensure that the body is not unnecessarily embalmed be sure to talk to your family, your funeral director, or state your wishes in an advance directive.
Prior to cremation bodies are placed in a container. This can be a cardboard casket decorated by chosen family, a simple, wooden casket, or another casket of your choosing.
There are several different options for cremation, depending on the level of involvement a family wants.
Direct Cremation is the least expensive option. Your body will go directly to the crematory where it will be cremated, and the ashes returned to your family. No service or viewing of the body takes place, however, this option can allow families to create a memorial at a later date.
Cremation and Service or a viewing can also be organized prior to cremation depending on your preferences and budget.
Witness Cremations allow you to be present during the cremation. While this can be a wonderful option for people who want more of a hands-on experience, this may not be the best fit for everyone. For the most part crematories are industrial spaces and not designed with family involvement in mind, nor the space to accommodate more than a few people. Witness cremations can also come with additional costs from both the crematory and funeral home.
The container with the body is placed in a large machine called a retort, which can get up to temperatures of 1,800° fahrenheit. The cremation process takes about three hours.
The high temperatures dissolve the body's muscles and tissues, leaving behind ash and brittle bone fragments. These are carefully collected and then placed into a device called a cremulator which will pulverize the remaining material into “ashes,” a more uniform, powdery substance.
Cremation is rather affordable.
A direct cremation is the most affordable interment option, but doesn't include any memorialization, nor is it witnessed.
While cremation is more environmentally sustainable than traditional burial, it's certainly not carbon-neutral.
A typical cremation releases about 534 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere. That's equivalent to a 600-mile car trip.
Cremation in America is rarely perfomed in the presence of loved ones.
While witness cremation is allowed, crematoriums are industrial spaces, not as welcoming as a funeral home.
Many religions have strict limitations on cremation.
Traditional Muslim and Judaic beliefs bans cremation. Catholocism and other Christian religions previously banned cremation because of a belief in the reincarnation of the body.
Cremation rates vary greatly by Country.
If you'd prefer to be cremated, simply communicate that desire to your friends and loved ones.
If you're worried a family member may try to upend your plans, put it in writing - every will can contain a section on the Dispsition of Remains.
Cremation recently became the most common form of interment in the US. It's expected to account for nearly 60% of funerals this year.
Share your wishes with a friend or loved one. Better yet, write them down, too. Even better: grant that person Power of Attorney upon your demise, and specify your preference for Disposition of Remains.
Bone fragments, which are pulverized in a cremulator to the consistency of ashes, or 'cremains.'
Absolutely not. If a Funeral Director tells you otherwise, find a new one.
Certainly.
A green burial involves burying an unembalmed body directly into the earth in a shroud or casket made of natural, biodegradable materials that won't harm the earth.
This is how people have been buried throughout human history; allowing the body to return to the earth so it can become part of nature. This method of burial remains an important part of funerary ritual for people of Muslim and Jewish faiths.
Unlike standard casketed burials, a green burial avoids embalming, vaults, tombstones, and caskets made from metals and synthetic materials.
Instead, a body can be shrouded, or a casket made from eco-friendly materials like wicker, cardboard, bamboo, or willow can be used.
Green burial does not require a vault or headstone.
Green or conservation cemeteries (green burial grounds that are protected by a land conservation trust) do not use tombstones or other monuments, in order to allow surrounding nature and wildlife to thrive. These spaces honor nature while acknowledging our place in it as human beings.
Since the body and casket are completely biodegradeable, you become a part of the surrounding Earth.
If you visit a green cemetery, you will be overwhelmed by how lush the growth is.
Green burial is roughly the same cost as a traditional burial.
This is the most environmentally friendly way to be interred.
Only completely biodegradeable material is allowed to be buried.
No embalming, no vault of grave liner, no emissions.
An appeal of green burial is the direct involvement of family and friends of the deceased.
There are numerous customizations allowed, such as personalizing the casket.
There are no prominent religious objections to green burial.
Strict Islam and Judaism actually require a 'green' burial.
There are only a few hundred green cemeteries in America.
So unlike tradiational burial or cremation, green burial requires advance planning.
If Green Burial interests you, plan ahead.
That's true for any unique interment option, but Green Burial allows you to write a script for your final passage.
The Green Burial Council is your source for all the info you'll need.
The Green Burial Council's website has an interactive map of all of the green burial sites in the U.S.
Green burials minimize the impact on the land and environment by avoiding embalming, hardwood or metal caskets, and vaults or grave liners. Instead, dry ice helps preserve the body, a biodegradable casket or shroud replaces a casket, and the body is interred directly into the ground.
Hybrid Cemeteries are traditional cemeteries with a 'green' section.
Natural Burial Grounds are dedicated exclusively to green burials and minimizing environmental impact.
Conservation Burial Grounds are natural cemeteries that have partnered with a conservation group to assure the land stays wild.
Instead of neat rows of headstones on a flat tract of land, green burial sites look more like lush gardens.
Small stone markers or plaques can be used in lieu of headstones. GPS can also be used to locate interred remains!
Aquamation, aka water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis, is an eco-friendly alternative to flame-based cremation.
Instead of fire, a combination of alkalized water and heat work to reduce the body to ashes.
Bodies are placed into a metal cradle before being inserted into the aquamation chamber.
There is no need for a casket or embalming.
The chamber fills with water, and is heated to 300 °F for about 4 hours. Elevated pressure prevents the solution from boiling. The lye gradually breaks down the body into its chemical components, leaving bone fragments.
After eight hours only brittle bones and ash remain, similar to flame cremation.
Aquamation costs about $2,000 and up.
But there are no additional costs for emlbalming, a casket, a cemetery plot or anything else. So Aquamation is actually on the cheaper side of your interment options.
Aquamation is a greener alternative as it can cut energy use by 90%, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 35%.
Like cremation, there is usually no witness for Aquamation.
Not all religions have an offical stance on Aquamation.
Aquamation is only legal in 18 states.
The number of Funeral Directors offering Aquamation is further limited by the cost of purchasing and installing a resomator: usually around $400,000.
Still Reading?
As Aquamation is greatly limited by geography, it'd be a good idea to find where it is available nearest to you. This is a plan-ahead option, probably requiring an explicit request in one's will or Manner of Disposition.
Not your thing? Check out the other options linked above.
Warm water mixed with caustic lye dissolves body tissue over the course of a few hours.
Much like cremation, only bone fragments survive the process. These are ground up into 'ashes' that can be taken home.
Only New Hampshire has a law banning Alkaline Hydrolysis, but no one offers the service in Idaho, Kansas, Maryland, or Vermont.
It is both legal and available in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
Of course! But you obviously wouldn't need embalming, a casket, a vault or your best outfit.
Like the removed blood and viscera from an embalming, it is drained into the municipal sewer system.
You can choose to donate your whole body after death to research and education at little to no cost.
While this option is considered a generous gift and body donations are vital to advancing medical science, it also comes with risks.
At this time there is no federal oversight or regulation, allowing for-profit businesses to buy, sell and use an individual's remains in ways that you and your family may not be comfortable with.
Each donation program has different requirements for bodies depending on their needs, so things like age, weight, cause of death, etc. may disqualify a body for donation.
It's key to do your research and ask as many questions as possible to find the right fit. Start by checking with local universities which may have a donor program in place. It's important to understand an institution's policies and arrange donation beforehand to avoid misunderstandings and to have an alternative plan.
That said, donation is needed for Medical and Physical Therapy programs, as well as research.
Donated bodies are usually used for 2-18 months.
Students recognize the selflessness of donation, and treat bodies with the utmost respect. Many schools have 'Gratitude Ceremonies' at the end of the Academic year to honor those who gave so generously.
In most cases remains will be embalmed and later cremated and returned to the family.
Body Donation is usually free.
A lab or University may require a small fee for processing the body, but this cost pales in comparison to other interment options.
Embalming and cremation of the body will still result in carcinogens being added to both the land and the air.
But the 'recycling' of the body helps mitigate the environmental issues.
This is not an option for those who want a memorial service with the body present.
The body is donated immediately upon death. Cremains may eventually be returned to the family.
Most religions are supportive of body donation.
There is no geographic limitation on body donation, but arrangements for donation must be made in advance.
Most bodies are donated locally, rather than crossing state lines.
Many alumni prefer to donate their bodies directly to their University's medical school.
Body Donation is uniquely appealing to a small number of individuals.
If you're one of them, here's a list of universities with body donation programs, and here's an example program that gives a sense of the process of anatomical body donation.
Donate your body to a specific institution, such as a University or medical school.
It is cleaned and embalmed.
The exact number is unknown, but it is estimated that 20,000 Americans donate their bodies each year.
Some transmissible diseases, such as hepatitis, tuberculosis or HIV, prevent donation. So does an autopsy.
Organ donors are harvested at the hospital after being declared brain-dead. Organ donation does not play a role in research or education.
Home funerals are performed by family and friends.
They allow us to spend time with the deceased in a familiar and comfortable setting, and create an opportunity for more meaningful involvement including decorating a coffin or shroud, arranging flowers, memorial making, and holding a funeral service that is family and community led, instead of funeral industry led.
The right to care for your own dead is a safe, legal, and low cost option in every U.S. state.
Burials on private property are legal in most states with the exception of California, Indiana, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
There may be local regulations on where a grave is dug, including distance requirements from public roads, power and water sources.
While legal, if there isn't a cemetery legally established on your property, you will need to contact your local zoning board regarding regulations, permits, and more.
Participants wash, dress, and bury the body themselves.
Once a location is selected a grave can be dug by hand, allowing for additional family or community involvement. There is no vault or grave liner, and the grave can be marked however you wish.
Home Burial can vary in cost.
But it avoids the outsized costs of a casket, a vault, and embalming.
Like green burial, this is the most environmentally friendly way to be interred.
No embalming fluid, casket, vault, or carbon footprint.
A primary appeal of home burial is the involvement of family & friends of the deceased.
Those that have participated in a home burial emphasize the strong sense of closure created by being directly involved.
There are no specific religious doctrines pertaining to home burial.
Some religions prefer cremation, or burial in a specific location, like a church graveyard.
There are very strict rules on where one can be buried on their own land.
In addition to the previously mentioned restrictions, 10 states require the services of a licensed Funeral Director for home burial.
If you're interested in Home Burial, you really need to do your homework ahead of time.
Every state is different, as is every county regulation. Assume you can do it, but also assume you'll need to plan for it.
You wash and dress the body, place it in a coffin, and bury it.
While this may sound terrifying, those who participate report an overwhelming feeling of closure, especially when compared to standard burial.
Dry ice can preserve a body for days before it's time for a ceremony.
It is a frequent choice of those with terminal illnesses who are able to plan their own demise.
It's the oldest burial practice known.
Human Composting, aka Natural Organic Reduction is a process that transforms the body into soil that can support new life.
While natural decomposition of human corpses into soil is a long-standing practice, a more rapid decomposition process was developed in the early 21st century.
The body is placed in an enclosed vessel with natural materials like wood chips and straw.
The soil is removed from the vessel as it undergoes a curing process that takes several weeks
Over the next 5-8 weeks microbes break it down resulting in about one cubic yard of soil.
Soil is returned to the family for scattering, used to plant a tree or flower/native plant garden, or donated to a land conservation project.
The cost ranges from $5-7,000. More than most Cremations, less than most Standard Burials.
But there are no fees for embalming, caskets, or grave upkeep.
Along with Home Burial, Human Composting is the most environmentally sound interment option.
>No CO2 emissions like Cremation, no carcinogens, rare woods or heavy metals, like Standard Burial.
Friends and family of the deceased may be present for the vessel entry and may contribute keepsakes.
Most people choosing this method are stating that they prefer it because it is a more meaningful process that allows for ritual and family involvement, primarily in the distribution of the fresh soil.
Other than Orthodox Judaism and Islam, religions are mostly willing to embrace this new technology.
ome Christians embrace composting as a 'direct fulfillment' of the Biblical declaration that we are dust and to dust we shall return (Genesis 3:19), whereas the Catholic Church in the U.S. asserts that the process is a desecration of human remains.
This is an accepted form of disposition within the funeral industry, and composting facilities operate as licensed funeral homes.
As of June 2024, twelve states have legalized the process - five states in 2024 alone. Roughly ten more states have bills in process.
Like any unique option, plan ahead and put it in writing.
The legality of Human Composting is gradually expanding from state to state. If this option appeals to you, consider advocacy.
The Green Burial Council's website has an interactive map of all of the green burial sites in the U.S.
Absolutely. Consider using it on plants and trees that the deceased cared about. If unsure what to do with the compost, donate it for reforestation.
In addition to a memorial service, facilities usually allow the bereaved to say a eulogy at the time of interment, and witness the process firsthand.
No bugs. Just the body's organic mass transitioning into a new state.
As of right now, only California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, New York and Vermont allow human composing, but many states are quickly adopting laws for the process. You can Monitor the legal status as it changes.