The median cost of cremation is only about $1,000 less.

Funeral Directors must present a general price list when asked, and options as low as $500 - for a direct cremation with no memorialization or embalming - should be available.

It helps if you plan ahead.

Your choice may adversely affect the environment.

Standard burial fills the Earth with hardwoods, metals, concrete and embalming fluid.

Cremation releases a plane-flight's worth of CO², as well as mercury (from dental fillings) into the atmosphere.

Alternate methods can have little or no environmental downside, if that is one of your priorities.

Not all forms of interment have the same emotional impact on those grieving.

There is a range - Cremation is almost never witnessed, whereas Home Burial involves participants washing and dressing the body of the deceased before burying them by hand. Is it important for you to encourage a 'Sense of Closure' when dealing with the body itself?

Not all religions support all forms of interment.

In fact, there's quite a lot of specificity.

For example, traditional Muslim and Jewish funerals require direct interment to the ground, without embalming, within 24 hours - a 'green' funeral with a time limit.

Hinduism requires cremation, whereas the Catholic Church only started allowing cremation in 1963.

Not all parts of the U.S. have the same options for interment.

Whereas standard burial and cremation are available nearly everywhere,

Choices like aquamation, currently available in only 23 states, and Human composting in 12, are limited. However, some funeral homes have partnered with providers in neighboring states to expand these options.