11 Common Burial Options

When it comes to burial options, there are several choices available, each with its own considerations regarding cultural, religious, environmental, and personal preferences. This month we took a deeper dive into 11 common burial options.

Traditional burial

Casket Burial: This is the most traditional and widely recognized type of burial, where the deceased is placed in a casket and buried in the ground. The casket can be made of various materials, such as wood, metal, or biodegradable options.

Grave Marker or Headstone: A marker, headstone, or monument is typically placed at the grave to commemorate the deceased, though the specifics can vary widely depending on personal or family preferences.

Green Burial

Environmentally Friendly: A green burial focuses on returning the body to the earth in the most natural way possible, without harmful chemicals or processes. The body is typically placed in a biodegradable casket, shroud, or simply wrapped in a cloth.

No Embalming: In a green burial, embalming fluids, which can be harmful to the environment, are typically avoided.

Minimal or Natural Markers: Grave markers, if used at all, are often simple, such as a small stone or no marker at all, to maintain the natural integrity of the site.

Conservation: Many green burial sites are located in natural reserves or conservation lands.

Cremation

Cremation with Memorial Service: Instead of burial, cremation involves the body being reduced to ashes through the process of combustion. The ashes (or cremains) can then be kept in an urn, spread in a meaningful location, or interred in a columbarium (a structure with niches for urns).

Cremation with Burial: The cremated remains can be buried in a cemetery, either in a plot or a special cremation section of the cemetery. Some cemeteries offer cremation plots that are smaller and less expensive than traditional burial plots.

Scattering Ashes: Some families choose to scatter the ashes in a location that was meaningful to the deceased, such as a favorite park, beach, or family property. There are even services that help with scattering ashes in specific locations like the ocean or mountaintops.

Biodegradable Urns: For those who want to be environmentally conscious, biodegradable urns can be used to bury cremains, which will gradually dissolve and return to the earth.

Water Cremation

A More Eco-Friendly Option: Alkaline hydrolysis, also known as water cremation or aquamation, is an alternative to traditional cremation that uses a water-based process to decompose the body. The process uses a combination of water, heat, and alkaline chemicals to break down the body, leaving behind liquid remains and bone fragments.

Less Environmental Impact: This method is considered more eco-friendly because it uses less energy than fire-based cremation and doesn’t produce emissions. The resulting liquid is typically non-toxic and can be safely disposed of or used for a memorial.

Entombment

Above-Ground Burial: In entombment, the body is placed in a sealed crypt, often inside a mausoleum (a large, above-ground structure that houses multiple burial spaces). Mausoleum burials are often chosen in areas where the ground is too hard to dig or where families prefer an above-ground resting place.

Private or Community Mausoleums: Mausoleums can be family-specific (private) or communal (for multiple families), and they typically feature granite or marble markers with inscriptions.

Sea Burial

Burial at Sea: This type of burial involves scattering the ashes of the deceased in the ocean or placing the body in a biodegradable container that will sink to the ocean floor. Sea burials are often carried out by ships or at designated sea burial sites.

Regulations: Sea burials are regulated by maritime laws, and the location must typically be far from shore, with certain rules about the depth of water and the distance from land to ensure that the burial is conducted responsibly.

Sky Burial

Cultural Tradition: Sky burials are practiced in some cultures, especially in Tibetan Buddhism, where the body is left exposed on a mountaintop for vultures or other scavenging birds to consume. This ritual is believed to be a way of offering the body back to nature and assisting the deceased's soul in its journey to the next life.

Not Common in Western Cultures: Sky burials are not common outside of certain regions or spiritual practices, but they have been increasingly discussed in the context of eco-friendly and sustainable burial alternatives.

Body Donation

For Medical or Research Purposes: In body donation, a person’s body is donated to science after death. The body is typically used for medical education, research, or to advance science in other ways. Afterward, the remains may be cremated and returned to the family, or they may be disposed of according to the institution’s protocols.

No Formal Burial: This option may not involve traditional burial, but it is an option for those wishing to contribute to medical science.

Tree Burial

Burial That Becomes a Tree: In a tree burial, the cremated remains are placed in a special biodegradable urn, which contains a seedling or sapling. Over time, the urn breaks down, allowing the tree to grow, creating a living memorial that can be planted in a meaningful location.

Environmental and Symbolic: This option is seen as both environmentally sustainable and symbolically meaningful, as it ties the person’s final resting place to the cycle of life.

Fireworks Burial

Ashes into Fireworks: A more unique and celebratory burial option is transforming a person's cremated remains into fireworks. The ashes are incorporated into the fireworks and launched in a memorable display, which can serve as a fitting tribute for those who wanted a lively, festive farewell.

Body Composting

Natural Decomposition Process: Also known as "human composting" or "terramation," this process uses a method of natural decomposition to turn the body into nutrient-rich soil. The body is placed in a specially designed vessel with organic materials, and over a period of several weeks, the body decomposes into compost that can be used to enrich soil.

Eco-Friendly: Human composting is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional burial or cremation, as it doesn’t require embalming or release carbon emissions.

Each of these burial options has its own benefits and considerations, and the decision often depends on the preferences of the deceased (if known), the family’s beliefs, cultural practices, and financial situation. It's also important to consider the legal and regulatory requirements, as some burial options may not be available in all regions.