20 guides
Green & Alternative Options
More families are choosing options with a smaller footprint or a different meaning. These guides cover natural burial, water cremation (aquamation), human composting, whole-body donation and where each is legal.
Start here
Aquamation Cost: What Water Cremation Costs in 2026What aquamation (water cremation) costs compared with flame cremation and burial, why prices vary, where it is legal and what to ask before you book. 4 min readBody Donation Age Limits: Is There a Minimum or Maximum Age?Whole-body donation programs usually require you to be 18 to register and set no upper age limit. See what matters more than age and how to plan. 4 min readConservation Cemetery: How It Works, Costs and RulesWhat a conservation cemetery is, how it differs from other green burial grounds, the rules it follows, typical costs and how to arrange a burial. 4 min read
Every green options guide
- Aquamation Cost: What Water Cremation Costs in 2026What aquamation (water cremation) costs compared with flame cremation and burial, why prices vary, where it is legal and what to ask before you book.
- Aquamation vs Cremation: Differences, Costs and AvailabilityHow aquamation (water cremation) differs from flame cremation: the process, what you get back, 2024 price data, where it is legal and how to choose.
- Body Donation Age Limits: Is There a Minimum or Maximum Age?Whole-body donation programs usually require you to be 18 to register and set no upper age limit. See what matters more than age and how to plan.
- Body Donation Programs: University vs Private ComparedHow US body donation programs differ, from medical schools to private organizations: cost, accreditation, eligibility, regulation and questions to ask.
- Conservation Cemetery: How It Works, Costs and RulesWhat a conservation cemetery is, how it differs from other green burial grounds, the rules it follows, typical costs and how to arrange a burial.
- Cremated Remains After Body Donation: How Long It TakesDo families get ashes back after whole-body donation? Timelines from a few weeks to years, what it costs, how remains are shipped and what to ask first.
- Eco-Friendly Caskets: Materials, Costs and How to ChooseWhat counts as an eco-friendly casket, the main materials from pine to willow to mushroom, what they cost, and what cemeteries and crematories require.
- Eco-Friendly Cremation: Aquamation, Human Composting and Greener Flame CremationHow to make cremation greener: aquamation, human composting and lower-impact flame cremation compared by process, cost, availability and what you get back.
- Green Burial Council: What Its Certification Means and How to Check a ProviderWhat the Green Burial Council certifies, how its hybrid, natural and conservation cemetery levels differ, and how to check whether a provider is certified.
- How Does Organ Donation Affect Funeral Services?Organ and tissue donation does not stop a viewing, burial or cremation and costs the family nothing. See how it works and what to tell the funeral home.
- How to Donate Your Body to Science: Step-by-Step GuideHow to donate your body to science in the US: choose an accredited program, register, tell your family, know who to call at death and plan for a decline.
- Mushroom Burial Suits: What They Are and Do They Work?What a mushroom burial suit is, why the original Infinity Burial Suit is no longer sold, what mycelium coffins offer and how to arrange a natural burial.
- Natural Burial Grounds: Types, Costs, Rules and How to Find OneWhat a natural burial ground is, how hybrid, natural and conservation sites differ, what burial costs, the rules you will meet and how to find one near you.
- Organ Donation After Death: How It Works and How to RegisterHow organ, eye and tissue donation works after death in the US: who can donate, how death is declared, what it costs your family and how to register.
- Organ Donation and Open Casket Funerals: What to ExpectCan you have an open casket after organ, eye or tissue donation? What donor organizations say about viewings, timing, cost and whole-body donation.
- Shroud Burial: Is It Legal, What Cemeteries Allow and How It WorksHow a shroud burial works: where it is allowed, what cemeteries require, how the body is cared for and carried, what it costs and why cremation differs.
- Shroud Making for Burial: How to Make a Burial ShroudHow to make a burial shroud: which natural fabrics and thread to use, what cemeteries and crematories require, and how to prepare and carry the body.
- Space Burial: Cost, How It Works and Who Offers ItHow a space burial works: what is actually sent, what Celestis flights cost, the four flight types, the risks, and what to do with the rest of the ashes.
- Tree Burial and Tree Pods: Can a Tree Grow From Ashes?How tree burial and tree pod urns work, whether a tree can grow from cremated remains, what kits cost, where you can plant and the alternatives.
- What Happens to Donated Bodies After DeathWhat happens after whole-body donation: screening, how bodies are used in teaching and research, how long it takes and what returns to the family.