Green burial is the most environmentally friendly option for body disposition.
Unlike traditional burials, utilizing metal or hardwood caskets and metal or concrete burial vaults, green burials use only simple materials that readily decompose. The body is placed in a natural fiber shroud or a biodegradable container such as a plain wood coffin. Embalming is not allowed, because embalming chemicals can be harmful to the environment and to funeral workers.
Unlike flame cremation or even the more environmentally friendly alternatives such as alkaline hydrolysis or natural organic reduction, green burials do not require the use of heat or mechanical processes. Instead, the body’s basic elements return to the earth over time, allowing the process of “dust to dust” to occur naturally.
Traditional vs Green Cemeteries
Most traditional cemeteries require burial vaults and grave liners. That’s because graves without vaults or liners create uneven ground as they settle, which can make turf maintenance more difficult. Some traditional cemeteries allow some burials without them, but limit those to a particular section. These are referred to as hybrid cemeteries.
Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C. is an example of an exception to this rule. Because it was founded in 1807, prior to the introduction of vaults or liners, the cemetery does not require them and allows green burials throughout the grounds.
Some cemeteries are designed specifically for green burial. The first green cemetery in the United States, Ramsey Creek Preserve in South Carolina, opened in 1998. Since then, many others have been established across the country.
Some of these cemeteries are also nature preserves, where a primary mission is protection and restoration of the land itself as native habitat, with limited burials allowed where they do not conflict with this goal.
Because one goal is to preserve the natural environment, green cemeteries usually allow only simple grave markers, such as natural stones or flat markers with minimal inscriptions.
As of 2026, Maryland has three dedicated green cemeteries, including one that operates as a nature preserve. See the links below for the current list of green cemeteries in Maryland. Delaware does not yet have any green cemeteries.
Cost Considerations
Green burials are typically less expensive than traditional burials because they do not involve embalming, metal caskets, burial vaults, or grave liners.
However, the cost of a plot in a green cemetery may not be significantly lower than in a traditional cemetery. Even without formal landscaping, maintaining natural landscapes while minimizing disturbance from heavy equipment can require careful and labor-intensive work.
Learning More
If you are interested in green burial, several organizations provide reliable information and directories of cemeteries and funeral providers:
- Green Burial Council – Provides information about environmentally sustainable death care and lists cemeteries and funeral homes across the United States.
- Green Burial Association of Maryland – Maintains an updated list of cemeteries and funeral homes offering green burial options in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and nearby states.
- The Jewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington – Offers information about traditional Jewish funeral practices, which have long included simple, environmentally friendly burial. The organization also maintains a list of Jewish cemeteries in the Washington area.
- Maryland Funeral Resources and Education – A website developed in 2023 by green burial and home funeral expert Lee Webster. It provides practical information for people interested in participating in the after-death care of a loved one.