Green Burials

The green approach eliminates the traditional model which often includes a ‘protective’ or sealed casket, an outside concrete grave box or sealed vault to place the casket in and (sometimes) embalming the deceased.

Key elements of green burial include:

• No outer burial container (partial or inverted), sometimes known as a vault or concrete liner, or a vault lid, concrete box, slab or partitioned liner.  The casket or shroud is placed directly into the earth. This returns the deceased to nature in a relatively short time. It also saves resources used in the construction of the vaults.
• All caskets are constructed of wood or other eco-friendly biodegradable burial containers. Renewable softwoods along with woven wicker and bamboo have become popular materials for casket construction along with linings of cotton and linen. The so-called plain pine box would fit into this description. The use of this type of casket saves the natural resources which are used to construct the traditional casket made of steel, semi-precious materials (such as copper and bronze) and highly finished hardwoods, some of which are becoming increasingly rare (mahogany and black walnut for instance).
• The option of burying the body wrapped in shroud without a casket
• Generally, not embalming or otherwise preserving the body, a traditional and widely practiced Jewish custom.
• Green burials can also significantly reduce the cost of a traditional funeral.
• Pre-need planning is encouraged. The need to purchase plots and make arrangements often comes when a family is unprepared. They must deal not only with their grief, but with the numerous details of funeral arrangements. Choosing beforehand allows for careful decisions and for consultation with other members of the family.