Why Have a Natural Burial?

When you are planning a funeral, there are generally two options – a traditional burial in a cemetery or cremation.  Both of these options come with issues, especially for anyone concerned about the impact on the environment.  However, there is a third option that is growing in popularity – a natural burial, also known as an eco-burial.

What is a natural burial?

A natural burial involves being buried in a natural location as opposed to a traditional cemetery.  This means you can have a woodland burial amid the trees or be buried in a meadow site, even somewhere that animals graze.

There are lots of myths about funerals ranging from the necessity of having a funeral director to where you can be buried – the truth is that there are very few rules.  There are some things that must be complied with but if you use a recognised natural burial location, this isn’t a concern as they will know any stipulations involved.

Why choose a natural burial?

For some people, the appeal of the natural burial is the return to nature – the body is buried in a degradable coffin that means everything eventually returns to a natural state.  For others, it is more about the environmental impact of the other options.  For example, traditional burial is becoming difficult as cemeteries are full and take up valuable land.  Systems used for these burials are also very resource heavy.

Likewise, cremation is often shown as the eco-friendly option but this isn’t entirely the case.  With the gases created during the process and the amount of fossil fuels used during the process – the equivalent of a 500-mile car trip – cremation does have an impact on the environment.  With a natural burial, these problems aren’t an issue.

• Offers an eco-burial with little impact on the environment
• Great range of locations to choose from including woodland and meadows
• Official burial sites ensure rules are adhered to
• A peaceful place for relatives to visit