Why Environmental Burials Are Now The Go-To Choice For Health-Conscious Families

By Your Health Magazine

Most of us think about diet, exercising and stress management when we consider the concept of healthy living, but countless families in 2025 are now extending this concept beyond life itself and into how we choose to say goodbye after death.

The growing movement toward environmental burials has exploded throughout recent years as these green alternatives to traditional cremation and funerals have drawn the interest of health-conscious families across the United States and abroad.

By prioritizing sustainability and reducing harmful chemical exposure, families and eco-friendly individuals are leaving behind more responsible legacies. We recently reached out to some environmental burial experts based in Yellow Springs, Ohio to better understand why these green burial practices are growing in popularity—and what we learned includes information that every health-oriented family needs to know for the future.

So, check out the below sections to learn about why environmental burials are now the go-to choice for health-conscious families!

Environmental Burials Offer A Healthier Choice For The Planet & Ourselves

A lot of people underestimate the detrimental impacts of traditional embalming fluids, and even more people don’t realize just how carcinogenic formaldehyde is.

Over time, these chemicals typically leach into a cemetery’s soil and enter into nearby groundwater systems. It’s also common for embalming chemicals to be found in streams and other water sources located near conventional cemeteries, which can have a seriously detrimental impact on aquatic life like fish, frogs, plants, and all sorts of critters.

And although traditional cremation might avoid certain embalming processes, it always consumes a tremendous amount of fossil fuels and releases carbon dioxide and other airborne pollutants into the atmosphere. It’s estimated that a typical cremation releases anywhere between 400-600 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is essentially the equivalency of a 500-mile car trip!

On the other hand, environmental burials avoid toxic chemicals entirely and only utilize biodegradable materials, which allows for a more natural decomposition. Some common examples of these materials include shrouds made from wicker, bamboo, seagrass, or untreated pinewood. Environmental burials also prioritize biodegradable caskets, which is a huge difference in comparison to the concrete vaults and metal caskets associated with conventional traditions.

So, not only does the green burial process eliminate the potential of harmful chemical exposure, because it also goes a long way to improve soil health, restore earthly nutrients, and minimize a decedent’s overall carbon footprint!

Lower Environmental Footprints

It’s common for health-conscious families to truly care about their environmental impact, which is why these types of people are also constantly trying to minimize their carbon footprints throughout their lifetimes.

One reason why environmental burials are currently growing in popularity is because it simply makes sense for eco-friendly families to carry out these same values beyond the grave, so these funeral investments tend to be right up their alley.

A lot of today’s families are also investing in conservation burial grounds, which are areas that support habitat restoration and land preservation. This means that a decedent’s final resting place will be deep within a wildlife sanctuary, which is something that’s very appealing for a lot of people who want to plant memorial trees that’ll act as a long-term symbol of a loved one’s lifetime.

Restorative, Natural Burial Settings

We’ve all seen just how manicured conventional cemeteries tend to be, and this aesthetic look is largely due to these properties and businesses utilizing heavy doses of pesticides, fertilizers and non-native plants.

Green burial grounds are very different in that they’re specifically designed to blend into an area’s natural landscape, which means that visiting your loved one’s resting place will feel more like hiking through a nature preserve than walking past countless rows of headstones.

This type of burial setting offers fresh air, peace, and a much deeper connection to the cycles of humanity and our individual places in the universe. These qualities also go a long way to support a family’s emotional well-being throughout the grieving process.

Environmental Burials Align Well With Holistic Lifestyles

Prioritizing an environmental burial for yourself or a loved one is a lot more than just an eco-conscious gesture, because it’s also an extension of a long-term holistic lifestyle as well.

Families that prioritize natural products, organic food and sustainable living often see these green burial options as the most logical choice after a life lived full of intention.

In many ways, environmental burials are like saying my values matter, even after my life is over—and this type of commitment resonates with today’s families because it showcases a powerful, personal message that can be sent to future generations.

Emotional & Financial Benefits

Although the overall costs of environmental burials will vary based on location, they’re always a lot more affordable in comparison to conventional funerals. This is mainly because you’ll be avoiding expenses like vaults, caskets and embalming services—and you’ll instead be simplifying the entire funeral process in a way that’s still equally as meaningful.

And from an emotional standpoint, many families find added comfort in knowing that their loved one’s final gesture will contribute positively to the environment’s health. This notion often helps ease grief in many ways, because it turns the loss of a loved one into yet another reminder of their caring legacy.

Environmental Burials Help People Leave Behind Legacies Of Harmony & Health

Wellness isn’t just about how we live, because it’s also about the world we want to leave behind after we’re gone. And although many of us strive toward eco-conscious lifestyles, we often forget about how our end-of-life services have a detrimental impact on local ecosystems, the atmosphere, and ultimately our legacies are environmental stewards.

Environmental burials just so happen to provide a relatively easy way to honor your loved one’s life, all while protecting the planet and developing a harmonious legacy with nature.

By choosing this afterlife care option, families are making bold statements that health and eco-conscious living isn’t temporary—because it’s a gift to the planet that we pass on for generations to come.

To learn more about environmental burials and how they might be a good fit for you and your family, go to The Green Burial Councilwebsiteto find a registered green cemetery in your local area!