A green burial has two components: what happens at the funeral home and what happens at the cemetery.

AT THE FUNERAL HOME

• Embalming is not required by law. So if you want a green burial, then skip this toxic and often expensive option.
• Choose a biodegradable casket or shroud. If your funeral home doesn't sell them, then bring your own. For a list of eco-friendly shroud and casket vendors, visit The Green Burial Council or The Natural Burial Company.

AT THE CEMETERY

• In California, "Vaults or grave liners are not required by law, but because they keep the ground from settling after burial and make mowing and maintenance easier, cemeteries may have their own policies regarding them" (The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau's "Consumer Guide to Funeral & Cemetery Purchases").
  
  The Bay Area Funeral Society will soon conduct a survey that will tell you which local cemeteries allow vault and liner-free burials.
  
  In the meantime, consider the following options:
  
    Forever Fernwood
  
    Call cemeteries in your area and ask if they will accommodate you.
  
    Choose a cemetery featured on the Natural End website.
  
    Consult the Green Burial Council's list of approved cemeteries.
  
  
• Choose a cemetery that allows biodegradable shrouds and caskets.

To learn more about green burial, watch the following video:



Or check out the following articles:

November 2009, Canadian Business.com
Eco-Burial: The future of death

October 2009, Press of Atlantic City.com
Cape May County Cemetery Revives Green Burials

October 2009, Newsday.com
'Green' burials gain ground on Long Island

October 2009, The Columbus Dispatch
Green Burial Movement Gains a Foothold

September 2009, American Funeral Director
Green Burial at a Crossroads - by Joe Sehee

September 2009, American Funeral Director
Going Green

September 2009, In The Light Urns Press Release
Memorial Distributor Launches Biodegradable Urns & Ashes

September 2009, CTVBC Green Burial Council In Canada
Green Burials

August 2009, Greenopia.com "Green Interrment Unearthed"
Green Interrment Unearthed

July 2009, Toronto Sun
Ashes to (biodegradable) Ashes

July 2009, The Sudbury Star
Our final act needn't be polluting earth

June 2009, Post Tribune
Some think 'green' for their funerals

June 2009, Greenopia.com
Joe Sehee of the Green Burial Council: Green Interrment Unearthed

June 2009, Kitsap Sun
Are you willing to go six feet under?

March 2009, thestarpress.com
Now you can go green with burials

February 2009, Slate.com
The Green Hereafter

February 2009, CNN.com
Green Burials: A Dying Wish To Be'Home To Fish'

February 2009, Pittsurgh Tribune-Review
Green Funerals Bring Back Old Ideas

November 2008, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Going Green - all the way to the grave

October 2008, Baltimoresun.com
Final rest goes green in the bay

October 2008, Multimedia Reporting
Funeral industry goes green, Lawrence part of the trend

September 2008, MLive.com
Demand up for Earth-friendly options

September 2008, Freep.com
More Consider Environmentally Friendly Funerals

August 2008, JCOnline.com
Families steer funeral industry to greener paths

August 2008, Indystar.com
Green burials cost less and are earth-friendly

July 2008, InsideBayArea.com
Eco-friendly Cemetery Owners offer Green Death Care

July 2008, Columbia Missourian
Returning to the Earth

July 2008, National Geographic
Dying to Be Green

June 2008, NationalGeographic.com
Negative Effects of Common Burials

June 2008, Green Bay Press Gazette
Green caskets, burials a growing business

June 2008, LSJ.com
Muir cemetery offers state's first 'green burial' site

May 2008, LJWorld.com
City explores creating green cemetery option

April 2008, Grave Matters
Interview with Joe Sehee

March 2008, American Funeral Director/Going Green
Be Prepared to answer questions on Green Burials

March 2008, American Funeral Director/American Cemetery
American Funeral Director March 200

March 2008, Envirominute
Green Burial Audio Track

February 2008, NBC4.com - Green Funerals More Popular, Easier On Earth
Green Funerals More Popular, Easier on Earth

January 2008, KOB.com
Boomers drive popularity of 'green' graves

January 2008, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/30757

January 2008, Cleveland Plain Dealer
Green Death As Environmental

January 2008, Edmonton Journal
CLICK HERE for PDF of article

December, 2007, All Things Considered, National Public Radio
CLICK HERE to listen

December 2007, Property Environment Research Center Report
CLICK HERE for PDF article

December, 2007, Chicago Tribune
CLICK HERE for PDF article

November, 2007, Chicago Defender
CLICK HERE for PDF article

November, 2007, International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association Magazine
CLICK HERE for PDF article

October, 2007, Sacramento Bee
CLICK HERE for PDF article

October, 2007, The Morning Call
CLICK HERE for PDF article

April, 2007, Exchange: The Journal of Land Conservation
CLICK HERE for PDF article

March, 2007, American Funeral Director Magazine
CLICK HERE for PDF article

March, 2007, Conservation in Practice Journal
CLICK HERE for PDF article

February 28, 2006, KQED/PBS
CLICK HERE to watch

December 27, 2006, Slate Magazine
http://www.slate.com/id/2156192/

November, 2006, Santa Fean Magazine
CLICK HERE for PDF article

October 6, 2006, Wall Street Journal
CLICK HERE to read

September 21, 2006, All Things Considered, National Public Radio
CLICK HERE to listen

August 26, 2006, Associated Press
Conservationists Push for Green Burial/

July 27, 2006, Grist
CLICK HERE to read