Does Massachusetts Offer Green Burials?

They say there are only two guarantees in life, which are death and taxes. We all have to deal with death, and in Massachusetts, green burials are becoming a popular option.

Photo by The Good Funeral Guide on Unsplash

Get our free mobile app

What are Green Burials?

Green burials are a natural and eco-friendly alternative to the typical burial, which consists of a metal casket, a cement vault, embalming, and a host of other materials and practices used to bury a deceased person. According to Green Burial Massachusetts, a green burial uses a biodegradable burial container and no embalming, burial liner, or vault; a marker, if used, is typically flat and level with the ground. In green burial, a human body and its burial container enrich the soil. I recently read that the Massachusetts Town of Lee will soon allow 15 green burials in the town's Fairmount Cemetery.

Photo by DEAD GOOD LEGACIES on Unsplash

Massachusetts Contains Many Cemeteries That Offer Green Burial Options

As mentioned earlier, green burials are becoming more popular throughout Massachusetts. While not every town or city cemetery offers the option, more cemeteries are reserving plots specifically for green burials. Massachusetts towns and cities like Lee, Boston, Cambridge, Cummington, Greenfield, Springfield, Ashfield, and many more all have at least one cemetery that offers the green burial option. You can view all of the cemeteries in Massachusetts that offer green burials here.

More About Green Burial Massachusetts, Outreach, and the Group's Mission

The Green Burial Massachusetts volunteer group continues to work tirelessly to educate the public about green burials and to encourage cemeteries to offer green burial options in their lots. One of the group's missions is to start the first green cemetery open to all in Massachusetts. The group offers talks, trainings, workshops, and more. You can learn more about green burials and where Green Burial Massachusetts will be next by going here.

LOOK: Things from the year you were born that don't exist anymore

The iconic (and at times silly) toys, technologies, and electronics have been usurped since their grand entrance, either by advances in technology or breakthroughs in common sense. See how many things on this list trigger childhood memories—and which ones were here and gone so fast you missed them entirely.

Gallery Credit: Stacey Marcus

LOOK: Baby names that are illegal around the world

Stacker scoured hundreds of baby name databases and news releases to curate a list of baby names that are illegal somewhere in the world, along with explanations for why they’re banned.

Gallery Credit: Annalise Mantz

LOOK: Here are the states where you are most likely to hit an animal

Hitting an animal while driving is a frightening experience, and this list ranks all 50 states in order of the likelihood of such incidents happening, in addition to providing tips on how to avoid them.

Gallery Credit: Dom DiFurio & Jacob Osborn