Mitchell McLean

Burial traditions across many cultures have one thing in common—that a permanent resting place is essential for honoring and remembering loved ones. When considering burial options for yourself or a loved one, be sure to choose a burial option (ground burial, interment in a crypt, natural burial, burial at sea, etc.) that seems befitting for both your loved one and family.

What Does a Traditional Burial Entail?

Funeral homes or services that provide traditional burial typically offer a full-service option that includes fees for the funeral director and staff, transportation of body, embalming, burial containers (casket and vault), facilities for a visitation or viewing, arrangements for memorial or funeral services, graveside services, opening-and-closing costs (gravesite preparation, back-filling, and landscaping), and the hearse and other necessary vehicles. Financial preparations could also include the cost of a cemetery lot or crypt, perpetual care of gravesite (sometimes added onto the total cost of a lot), a grave liner (if necessary), and the grave marker, monument, or headstone (which could include fees for installation).

Know Your Options

Choices for burial options can vary greatly, depending on your preferences and budget. Cemeteries typically provide most, or all, of these property options for selection and purchase:

• Single burial space – used for the burial of one person or cremated remains
• Double-depth space – used for two individual persons, one buried at a deeper depth and the other buried at a normal depth on top of the first
• Family lot – a designated area used for multiple family members
• Mausoleum – a building, public or private, for above-ground placement of caskets within crypt spaces.
  • Private Mausoleum – a building, typically an adorned stand-alone building, that houses the remains of family members and creates a space of private visitation
  • Community Mausoleums – a community, usually climate-controlled building, where families can select the location and level of crypt and personalize crypt plates and crypt markers

What Should I Ask Before I Buy Cemetery Property?

Be sure to do a little research on your area cemeteries to determine which options best fit your needs before purchasing cemetery property (burial spaces, lawn crypts, or mausoleums). There are three types of cemeteries:

• Private cemetery – private property designated as a cemetery in which lots or burial spaces are not sold to the public and in which burials are restricted to members of a family by blood or marriage or friends of the family.
• Public cemetery – a privately owned or municipal cemetery property in which burial spaces and lots are sold to the public.
• National or state cemetery – a government-owned cemetery in which eligible veterans, their spouses, and dependents may be buried at little or no cost to the family. Learn more about veteran’s burial benefits.

Many cemeteries include fees for maintenance of the grounds, sometimes included in the property value, so be sure to inquire whether or not perpetual care is included or if fees can be expected for upkeep of the gravesite and any monuments, headstones, or markers that will be present. You may also want to request information about any rules or regulations that the cemetery might enforce, such as types of monuments or markers permitted, seasonal decorations on graves, the allowance of grave candles, and rules about flower placement.

Casket Options

Caskets come in many different materials and a variety of price points. The selection of a casket is solely up to you and your family. Modern caskets are typically made of wood or metal and are lined by varying kinds of interior fabric. The cost typically depends on the materials used for construction. Some caskets (typically made of metal) are designed to withstand outside elements, while others, such as those used in green burials (made of hemp, wicker, and other biodegradable materials), are meant to encourage the process of decomposition.

Outer Burial Container Options

In order to prevent uneven landscapes and avoid ground sinking, most cemeteries require that an outer burial container, typically referred as a burial vault, to be placed around the casket in the ground. Costs of outer burial containers can vary, but most containers are constructed from concrete and metal.

Natural Burial

Natural burial, or green burial, is a burial with minimal impact on the environment. Green burials may include nontoxic, biodegradable casket or a burial shroud. There is usually no embalming, or if embalming must take place, eco-friendly embalming fluid can be used. A green burial takes place in a dedicated green cemetery or natural preserve. Please note that green burial grounds are not available everywhere. Check the Green Burial Council’s website for a listing of certified green burial providers. A more natural burial can also be practiced in a conventional cemetery by allowing a wood or biodegradable casket to come into contact with the earth. If a vault or grave liner is required by the cemetery, it may be turned upside down without a lid to allow the casket to degrade naturally.

What if traditional burial isn’t right for me?

The most common alternative to burial is cremation. Another option is donation of a body to medical science, however, this is not a true form of disposition since the body is usually cremated and returned to the family after about a year. Examples of less common forms of disposition are burial at sea, alkaline hydrolysis (water cremation), aquamation, or resomation.

Ancient forms of disposition include mummification, exposure or sky burial, practiced by Tibetans and some Native American tribes.

The most recent developments in body disposition include cryogenic freezing, space burial, plastination (preservation of body parts by replacing water and fat with plastics), and promession (freeze drying with liquid nitrogen and using vibration and dehydration to reduce the body to a dry powder).

Please note that not all forms of disposition are legally recognized by each state. Check with your state and local laws and regulations to ensure that the disposition method you wish to use is legally available in your state. You may also transfer a body to another location where your chosen form of disposition may be legally carried out.

Green burials have become increasingly popular in recent years. Founded on the belief that death care practices shouldn’t be harmful to the environment, green, or natural, burials aim to leave minimal environmental impacts. In fact, many people who consider green burials take into consideration processes of burial that conserve resources, protect workers from potentially harmful chemicals, and reduce carbon emissions so that they can contribute to the restoration and preservation of natural habitats.

Numerous routes can be taken when approaching green burial, but most have a few common factors. For example, burials are typically considered green if non-toxic, biodegradable materials are used for burial, if harmful chemicals are not used during embalming, and if the casket is not covered by a concrete vault. In addition, many who choose green burials forgo traditional concrete headstones or grave markers and choose to mark graves naturally with trees, plants, or field stones.

Is Green Burial Common?

The rise in green burials is likely a result of the growing rise in environmental awareness. A 2015 survey by the Funeral and Memorial Information Council revealed that interests in green burial had gone up 11 percent in five years, with more than 60 percent of respondents indicating some interest in green burials. The rapid rise in interest in green burials is evidenced by the Green Burial Council’s list of certified providers in North America, which has grown from 1 in 2006 to more than 300 as of 2017, operating in 41 states and 6 provinces of Canada (this includes funeral homes, cemeteries, and product providers). Please note that green burial options are not available in every state.

Is Cremation Considered Green?

Although the cremation process reduces land use, the practice is not considered green by either the National Funeral Directors Association or the Green Burial Council because cremation can potentially emit harmful substances, such as mercury, into the atmosphere. In addition, cremation burns fossil fuels, a non-renewable resource, and some argue that cremation impedes the body’s natural decomposition, preventing the natural ecosystem from benefiting from it.

The chemical process known as alkaline hydrolysis, which dissolves soft tissues leaving bone fragments and metals behind, produces similar remains as cremation and is considered to be more environmentally friendly. However, the option is not widely available nor legal in most states, and it is costly compared to cremation.

How Do I Ensure My Burial Is Environmentally Friendly?

Like the everyday choices we make regarding our impact on the environment (recycling, composting, carpooling, etc.), green burial presents many ways that end-of-life choices can contribute to the preservation of our environment. Green burial options range from preserving cremated remains in eco-friendly urns, to service providers that only use natural materials (such as pine and wicker) to produce caskets. At first, the environmentally-friendly options may seem limitless, but the Green Burial Council considers certain practices best when planning and implementing a minimally invasive burial:

• No Toxic Chemicals
  First, body preservation should not include any harmful or toxic embalming chemicals. Instead, refrigeration, dry ice, or eco-friendly embalming fluid should be considered. If planning ahead, be sure that your funeral will be held in a relatively short period of time, as refrigeration can be expensive.

• Biodegradable Burial Materials
  Second, coffins, caskets, and shrouds made of biodegradable substances like bamboo, wicker, silk, or hemp should be used instead of modern materials such as metal or concrete. Wood that is sustainably harvested is also a good option.

• Avoid Concrete Vaults
  Third, concrete grave liners and vaults should be avoided if possible. Many cemeteries require vaults to prevent the ground from sinking over time, however the manufacturing and transporting of vaults causes carbon emissions and uses great amounts of energy. There may not be a green cemetery or natural preserve in your area, so you may consider placing a biodegradable casket in contact with the earth and installing the vault upside down (without a lid) over the casket. This allows the casket to degrade naturally, while preserving the cemetery’s landscape.

• Natural Grave Markers
  Many green cemeteries or natural preserves suggest the use of natural objects as grave markers (such as trees, shrubs, perennial flowers, or rocks). Unlike concrete monuments, natural markers preserve the integrity of the surrounding environment and reduce the use of concrete or other resources for large monuments. Many cemeteries provide GPS location so that a loved one’s grave can be easily found, and choosing a natural marker ensures that your last act gives back to the earth in a modest yet lasting way.

Where Can I Find More Information?

For more information regarding green burial, be sure to refer to the Green Burial Council website, which shares other information regarding green burials, or The Natural End, which provides a map listing natural burial providers in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia.

What Does it Mean to Be an Organ Donor and a Whole Body Donor?

Anatomical donation typically refers to the donation of the whole body to medical or scientific research. Once donated, the body may be used for surgical training, scientific research, and anatomy lessons for medical students, promoting the advancement of medical science.

Organ donation, on the other hand, refers to the donation of organs after death that, if approved for donation, would be transplanted into another living person.

What Organs Can Be Donated After Death?

Organs such as the heart, liver, lungs, small intestines, and kidneys can be donated after death along with tissues such as corneas, skin, veins, bones, heart valves, tendons, and ligaments. Because organs are living tissue and begin to decompose quickly after loss of blood flow, donation and transplantation must happen almost immediately after death.

The American Transplant Foundation estimates that “one deceased donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and can save and enhance more than 100 lives through the lifesaving and healing gift of tissue donation.”

UNOS, the United Network for Organ Sharing, along with other organ distributers, uses strict standards and criteria to match organs and ensure the fair distribution of organs to recipients. Organ and tissue donors are treated with the utmost respect, and an open-casket funeral is often possible after donation. No costs will be incurred by the donor’s family for organ and tissue donation, although costs may be applied for services carried out before official time of death. When being treated for medical reasons, organ donation cannot be considered until brain death has been declared by a physician. All donations are anonymous unless approval from the recipient is given.

For more about the laws and regulations surrounding organ donation, refer to the Uniform Law Commission’s summary of the Anatomical Gift Act of 2006.

Is It Possible to Be An Organ Donor And a Whole Body Donor?

It is technically possible to register as both an organ donor and a whole body donor. However, when registering for both, applicants should understand that organ donation for transplant will take first priority, meaning that if organs are selected and approved for donation, whole body donation will likely be refused for study at the majority of medical facilities or universities because of the compromised integrity of the body as a whole.

Many times, however, those registered as organ donors are often not in the position at time of death to be candidates for donation. In fact, many potential organ donors are not approved for transplant after death because of the stringent restrictions and criteria for organ donation and the timing of immediate donation after death. Cancer, heart disease, lung disease, potentially malignant tumors, and other preexisting conditions often rule out organ donation candidates. In addition, proximity to the hospital or the need to perform an autopsy (when means of death are questionable) can also prevent organ donation. Because of these restrictions, many bodies of organ donors remain uncompromised and could still be donated to science or willed to a university after death if the donor so wished.

Registering as both is technically possible, but if whole body donation is desired, it is wise to register as only a whole body donor to ensure the fulfillment of final wishes.

How Do I Donate My Body?

When considering whole body donation, the first step is to be sure to communicate your wishes to relatives and next of kin to avoid any confusion after death. Next, contact the medical facilities (often university-affiliated) where you would like to donate your body, fill out the necessary paperwork, and request information and educational materials so that you and your family members can understand the specific procedures, requirements, and restrictions of whole body donation at this specific location. To be well informed, be sure to ask questions about the facility, costs associated with donation, and the procedures of donation. Check this list by Donate Life Texas for some helpful questions to ask donation facilities.

To find a facility near you that accepts whole body donations, visit the University of Florida’s website that lists whole body donation programs in each state. You can also organize whole body donation through private organizations, such as United Tissue Network,  Science Care, and others.

Then, be sure to provide the contact information of your chosen donation facility and instructions for your relatives so they can be prepared and know who to contact upon death. Finally, you will want to produce a clear, written directive and inform your primary doctor about your intentions.

What Does Whole Body Donation Cost?

There is no set answer to the question of cost for whole body donation because policies differ among donation facilities. Be sure to consult with your donation facility of choice to plan for costs that will not be covered by the facility. Many times, donation facilities will arrange and pay for body transportation (unless the body needs to be moved a lengthy distance), eventual cremation, and the return of cremated remains to family. The family should expect to pay for the cost of legal documentation of death and any funeral services conducted before the release of the body to the donation facility.

Under no circumstances will your family receive monetary compensation for your donation as the buying and selling of bodies is prohibited by Federal law.

Procedure of Whole Body Donation

Some donation facilities allow a certain amount of time after death for a funeral service to be performed. However, some facilities require that notification and transportation of the body occur soon after death, meaning that funeral services with the body present may not be possible.

After the death of a loved one, family members should notify the facility of the donor’s death and proceed appropriately. Often, this means coordinating with a representative of the donation clinic who will review acceptance protocol and determine, along with a health care representative from the hospital, medical facility, or hospice facility where the death occurs, whether the body can be accepted.

Whole body studies are typically completed under two years, but can also last as long as five years. Upon the completion of study, bodies are typically cremated as the means of final disposition, unless otherwise noted by the donor’s family.

Whole Body Donation Restrictions

Although universities and medical facilities are in constant need of whole body donations for study, most programs reserve the right to refuse donation. For example, organ donors are frequently refused for the reason that the body can best be studied when it is intact (for this reason, if you intend to donate your body to medical science, you may consider removing yourself from the organ donation list).

In addition, bodies may not be accepted if the body was significantly damaged in a car accident, the body is morbidly obese or emaciated, the donor has a contagious or infectious disease (HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B or C, etc.), the body has been autopsied, or for the simple reason that donations are not needed by the facility at the time. Check with your chosen university or facility to learn more about specific restrictions.