Funeral QuestionsWhat Is a Natural Burial?
Last updated 29 September 2026 · 7 min read
Direct Answer
A natural burial (also called a green or woodland burial) returns a body to the earth with as little environmental interference as possible: no embalming, a biodegradable coffin or shroud, no concrete vault or liner, and a grave marked by planting, a small natural stone, or a GPS record rather than a headstone. It takes place in a dedicated natural burial ground or a natural section of an ordinary cemetery, and the ground is usually managed as habitat. It is legal in many countries, but the rules on depth, containers, and where a burial may happen are set locally, and costs are broadly similar to a conventional burial: savings on the coffin and memorial can be offset by the plot fee.
Detailed Explanation
Natural burial is not a new idea. It's the oldest one, formalised. For most of human history every burial was "natural"; the modern version adds rules and land management so the practice meets today's environmental standards. The first dedicated natural burial ground in the UK opened at Carlisle's municipal cemetery in 1993, and similar grounds have since opened in Australia, the US, and elsewhere. See the green funerals hub for the wider picture of eco-conscious funeral choices.
The name changes with the country. "Natural burial" is the usual term in Australia and the UK, "woodland burial" is common in the UK, "bush burial" is sometimes used in Australia, and "green burial" is the usual term in the US.
What makes a burial "natural"
- No embalming. The body is kept cool by refrigeration rather than preserved with chemicals such as formaldehyde, which are harmful to soil and groundwater. Embalming is generally not a legal requirement for an ordinary burial in Australia, the UK, or the US, though it can be needed for some international repatriations. Most natural burial grounds refuse embalmed bodies, or accept them only with non-toxic embalming.
- A biodegradable container: untreated timber, wicker, bamboo, seagrass, cardboard, or a shroud where the ground and local law allow it. See choosing a coffin or casket for the materials.
- No vault or liner. Many conventional cemeteries, particularly in the US, place the coffin inside a concrete vault or grave liner. Natural burial leaves the coffin in direct contact with the soil.
- A grave depth set for living soil. Natural grounds tend to bury at the shallower end of what local law allows, keeping the body in the biologically active layer of soil where decomposition works fastest. Minimum depths are set by each jurisdiction. For example, New South Wales requires 900 mm of cover by default, and English municipal cemeteries normally require three feet, or two feet for a perishable coffin in suitable soil.
- The landscape is the memorial. Instead of granite and concrete, graves are marked by native planting, a small flat stone, or a survey or GPS record, and the ground as a whole is managed as woodland, meadow, or bushland. Some are run as conservation projects, restoring habitat with each burial.
Types of natural burial ground
Not every "green" option is equally green. The US Green Burial Council's certification tiers are a useful way to see the range, even outside the US:
| Type | What it means |
|---|---|
| Hybrid (a natural section of a conventional cemetery) | No embalming with toxic chemicals, no vault or liner, biodegradable containers only. The rest of the cemetery stays conventional. |
| Natural burial ground | All of the above, plus the whole site is planned and managed as habitat, with limits on markers and burial density. |
| Conservation burial ground | All of the above, plus the land is permanently protected, for example by a conservation easement held by a land trust or government agency. |
Other countries don't use these labels formally, but the same range exists. A natural section in a council cemetery is closer to "hybrid"; a stand-alone woodland or bushland site managed for conservation is closer to the top tier.
How it compares
Against conventional burial, natural burial removes the embalming, the sealed hardwood or metal casket, the vault, and the monument (the heaviest environmental inputs) while still giving a permanent grave that family can visit. Against cremation, it avoids the fuel use and emissions of the cremator entirely. Families weighing that whole decision should start at burial vs cremation.
Families drawn to cremation for other reasons but still wanting a lighter footprint can also look at water cremation (alkaline hydrolysis, sometimes called aquamation), which is legal in some places and not others; what is water cremation explains how it works in Australia. Human composting (natural organic reduction) is legal in a number of US states but not currently in Australia. Where neither is available, natural burial is usually the lowest-impact option on offer.
What it costs
Cost sits in a similar band to conventional burial. The plot and burial fees at natural grounds are sometimes lower and sometimes not, because many are run by trusts or councils with long-term conservation and record-keeping obligations. The savings on the coffin, the vault, and the headstone are real. Itemised quotes are the only reliable comparison; for a worked Australian example, see how much a natural or green burial costs compared to a conventional funeral.
Arranging one
Most funeral directors can arrange a natural burial, and in some places a family can arrange it themselves. Tell the funeral director at the first meeting, since it shapes the care of the body (no embalming), the coffin order, and the logistics on the day. If the person who died left written wishes or a prepaid plan, check whether it names a preferred ground. Contact the ground early: some popular sites have limited plots, and each publishes its own rules on containers, plantings, and ceremonies.
The wider green-funeral picture
Natural burial is the anchor of an environmentally conscious funeral, but not the whole of it. Coffin material, flowers, printed material, and transport can all be chosen separately. See what makes a funeral environmentally friendly for the full checklist.
How it works where you are
The idea is the same everywhere, but the law, the availability of grounds, and the terminology differ by country:
- Australia: natural burial in Australia covers state rules on depth and coffins, where bushland grounds exist, and private-land restrictions.
- Australia, costs: how much a natural or green burial costs compares a natural burial with a conventional one in Australian dollars, line by line.
- United Kingdom: natural burial in the UK covers woodland burial grounds, how lightly regulated they are in England and Wales, and burial on private land.
- United States: green burial in the US covers Green Burial Council certification, your rights under the FTC Funeral Rule, and state differences.
Things to Consider
- Availability varies. Check the nearest natural burial ground early. For some families it's hours away, which changes the graveside logistics and who can attend.
- Rules vary by ground. Permitted containers, whether shrouds are accepted, plantings, markers, ceremonies, and visiting are set by each site. Read them before committing. See how do you choose a natural burial ground for the questions worth asking.
- Family expectations: a grandparent expecting granite may need the reasoning explained gently. Visiting the ground together beforehand often settles doubts better than any explanation.
- Records for the future: without a headstone, the record is the marker. Keep the ground's certificate, the grave coordinates, and photos with the family's papers, and consider adding them to an online memorial so relatives far away can find the place too.
Common Mistakes
- Leaving it too late to check availability. Finding out the nearest ground is full or far away after the funeral is half-planned forces compromises the family didn't want. One family's experience of exactly this shows why reserving ahead matters when a particular site means a lot to someone.
- Assuming any cemetery can "do it natural." Conventional lawn cemeteries often require monuments, standard depths, or vaults; a natural section or dedicated ground is what makes it possible. See can you have a green burial without a dedicated natural burial ground for what is still achievable at an ordinary cemetery.
- Embalming by default. If the funeral home isn't told early, standard processes may go ahead. Mention the natural burial in the first phone call.
- Confusing "cheap" with "natural." The two overlap but aren't the same; a natural burial can cost as much as a conventional one. Choose it for the environmental and personal reasons, and budget from quotes, not assumptions.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is natural burial legal?
- In Australia, the UK, the US and many other countries, yes. A natural burial is still a burial, just with fewer additives, so it has to follow the same local laws as any other: the death is registered or the burial authorised first, and the burial happens at an approved cemetery or burial ground unless the local rules allow burial on private land. What changes from place to place is the detail: minimum grave depth, whether a shroud can be used without a coffin, and whether home burial is possible at all. The country pages linked under "How it works where you are" cover those rules.
- Can you have a normal funeral service with a natural burial?
- Yes. The service (religious, celebrant-led, civil, or graveside only) is unchanged; only the burial itself differs. Many families find the graveside part more moving at a natural burial ground: a woodland or meadow setting, a hand-lowered shroud or wicker coffin, and mourners helping to fill the grave are old practices that conventional cemeteries had smoothed away. The rest of the day, including any wake or gathering, goes ahead as it would for any funeral.
- How does the family visit or find the grave later?
- Natural burial grounds keep precise records. Most survey each grave and record GPS coordinates, and some add an underground marker or a communal memorial wall where names are recorded; many allow a small flat natural-stone marker. Families visit as they would a cemetery, walking into woodland or meadow rather than lawn and granite. Some grounds also plant a locally native tree or shrub on or near the grave. That's the ground's own planting over a body burial, which is different from a family planting a tree at home with cremated remains (see [how do you plant a memorial tree for someone who died](/questions/how-do-you-plant-a-memorial-tree-for-someone-who-died) for that). Keeping the location, coordinates, and photos on an online memorial keeps the place findable for future generations.
References
Related Questions
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