About Green Burials
How you choose to have your body handled after death can say a great deal about who you are. Religious and spiritual beliefs have long played a significant role in shaping funeral plans, whether for yourself or a loved one. In recent years, a wider range of alternative options for handling remains has become available, allowing individuals to choose from various burial and cremation practices that align with their personal values and preferences.
Not all options are allowed in every state, what’s available in your area may or may not include the following:
Direct Burial
Direct burial is a simple, environmentally friendly practice that emphasizes minimal impact on the land. It forgoes embalming and often avoids elaborate services, allowing the body to be returned to the earth in a natural way. Depending on personal or cultural preferences, direct burial may involve a biodegradable casket, no casket at all, a natural shroud, or even burial without any container. This approach appeals to those seeking a green, straightforward option that honors both personal values and the environment.
Body Compost
Also known as natural organic reduction, is a green burial option that allows the body to return to the earth through a carefully managed natural process. The body is placed in a controlled environment where organic materials and microorganisms break it down into nutrient-rich soil over several weeks. This method avoids embalming, reduces land use, and produces no harmful emissions. The resulting soil can be returned to loved ones or used for conservation purposes, making body composting an environmentally responsible choice that emphasizes renewal and sustainability.
Water Cremation
Aquamation, also known as alkaline hydrolysis or water cremation, is an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional flame cremation. This process uses water, gentle heat, and an alkaline solution to mimic natural decomposition, significantly reducing energy use and eliminating direct air emissions. The remaining bone material is processed into a fine, ash-like substance that can be returned to loved ones, making green cremation a respectful and sustainable choice for those seeking a lower-impact option after death.
At Derci we support providers of Aquamation. We encourage you to research freely and choose what feels right for you and your family.
An Eco-Friendly & Compassionate Alternative to Flame Cremation
Many families find aquamation a natural, dignified, and values-driven choice that honors both their loved one and the planet, with remains that can be memorialized in meaningful ways. Unlike flame cremation, the process:
uses a gentle, water-based alkaline hydrolysis process (instead of fire),
produces no harmful emissions, and
uses up to 90% less energy, resulting in a much smaller carbon footprint.
The process accelerates natural decomposition in a controlled, respectful way, leaving behind nutrient-rich byproducts that can safely return to the ecosystem, while bone remains are dried and processed into a powder returned to families. Aquamation also prevents mercury release from dental fillings and allows implants to be reclaimed and recycled, which is better for the earth and can provide significant cost savings for families.
A Gentle Return
Also known as alkaline hydrolysis, aqaumation has been practiced since 1888. The process places the body in a vessel of warm, alkaline water, where it is gently reduced without fire, flame, or soot.
The cycle can take up to a full day and is typically priced comparably to flame cremation. Rather than combustion, aquamation results in a nutrient rich, DNA free liquid that can safely nourish the earth or be returned to the sea.
Your loved ones are provided with the final remains as a pure white dust, suitable for memorial vessels, crafted into special jewelry, or shared with friends and family to be spread in their own time. Unlike flame cremation, Derci allows any metals or medical devices to be reclaimed intact at the end of the cycle.