Direct Cremate

Green Burial vs Direct Cremation: Cost, Convenience & Eco-Friendliness

Trying to choose between direct cremation and green burial? The options are vastly different but actually offer many of the same advantages.
Green Burial vs Direct Cremation
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How Direct Cremation Compares to Green Burial

As disposition options expand, more people are questioning which service they’d prefer and starting to compare types of disposition they wouldn’t have in the past. Two of those options are green burial and direct cremation

We’ve provided a head-to-head comparison of green burial and direct cremation on three of the biggest considerations. Hopefully it can help you decide if either will work better than traditional funeral services. 

Green Burial vs Direct Cremation: Cost

Cost is one of the biggest determining factors for funeral services. Paying for funeral services can be difficult for many people given that the average cost of traditional burial and cremation is very expensive. The median price for traditional burial is $7,850 before the cost of a burial plot, and traditional cremation costs $6,970 on average

Cost is one of the top reasons why more people are looking for alternatives to traditional funeral services. Green burial and direct cremation are both good examples of how much more affordable funeral services can be. 

Green Burial

Green burial may seem like it would be inexpensive because it’s stripped down, but that isn’t always the case. The cost of a burial plot could cost thousands on its own. Biodegradable and pine caskets cost hundreds of dollars. And if the burial happens at a cemetery there will be fees to pay for opening, closing and maintaining the grave. 

Location is another factor that has a significant influence on burial prices. In general you can expect to pay at least $1,000 for green burial, but it could be $4,000+. 

Direct Cremation

Direct cremation is extremely affordable. Our direct cremation services start at just $995. Even going with an advanced service like water cremation will be about a third of what traditional cremation and burial cost. 

Green Burial vs Direct Cremation: Convenience

When you’re mourning the death of a loved one, it’s not the time that you want to have to jump through hoops to plan funeral services and make sure the disposition goes according to plan. Many families put a premium on convenience that makes handling everything less stressful. 

Green Burial

Green burial is very cost-effective, but it might not be as convenient. When a family decides green burial is the best option they often have to take a more active role in the funeral process. For starters, you’ll have to find somewhere that does green burials, and burial space is becoming limited in some cities. You can do a home burial in every state except California, Washington and Indiana. Even in those states there are legal workarounds. No matter where you live, you’ll have to get permits for the home burial. If that’s not an option there are now cemeteries that accommodate green burials. 

Direct Cremation

No other type of disposition is as convenient as direct cremation. Services can be arranged online or over the phone. You can even be in another country. It’s an option that’s often used when the deceased’s family lives in another location. 

Green Burial vs Direct Cremation: Eco-Friendliness

Just 5-10 years ago, environmental impact was not something many people considered when they planned a funeral. Today, awareness about the impact of funeral services is changing things. 

Green Burial

Green burial is considered to be the most natural and eco-friendly disposition option when you consider everything. Natural organic reduction (NOR) is very green, but it requires the use of a facility that needs energy, and resources like steel containers are also required. When green burial is done correctly it’s the same end result as NOR. It just takes longer and you need to have a place to bury the body. 

Direct Cremation

Direct cremation is also considered eco-friendly compared to traditional services, and depending on the method used it can be much more green. There are no services involved or embalming fluid. The one ecological downside is that flame cremation does generate a certain amount of pollutants, although modern retorts work to minimize them. 


Does direct cremation sound like the best option for balancing cost, convenience and eco-friendliness? Give our team a call any time of day to discuss the process, prices and more.

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