Natural Burial, also known as Green Burial, is a movement in our society prioritizing the unhindered return to the earth after burial of the deceased, with minimal disturbance to the environment.
This is often understood to mean:
Avoiding the use of any chemical means of preservation that might seep into the soil. Instead we keep the body cool to preserve just long enough for the burial, after which it is allowed to make its natural return to the earth.
The use of biodegradable containers such as an unfinished all-wood casket – no metal nails, only wood and natural adhesive.
Choosing a cemetery that allows the casket to be placed directly into the earth rather than within a concrete grave liner. This allows the natural process of decomposition, or returning to the earth, to occur unhindered.
These practices have been the custom of (among others) the traditional Jewish and Quaker burial for centuries.
Variations of natural burial are common when required due to circumstance.
When family members are already interred in a cemetery plot that requires grave liners, a porous concrete grave liner may be used with openings on the bottom that allow the casket to touch the earth while still satisfying the requirements of the cemetery.
When cremation is preferred, the ashes can be collected in an urn that is designed to dissolve in the sea or in the earth. Or they can be substrate for a tree sapling or flower bed to grow in. The options are many and our task is to guide you to the right one for your family.
many funeral homes are eager to position themselves to serve the recent trend toward natural burial.
We are not one of these funeral homes.
Our family has been serving the community with the practices that have come to be known as “natural” or “green” burial for three generations.
Our facilities are outfitted with onsite refrigeration to replace the need for embalming (New Jersey State Law mandates that remains must be embalmed or refrigerated after 48 hours). We maintain an on-premises selection of all-wood construction caskets, both unfinished and stained, for families who value the most timely interment possible. We encourage, when possible, the family to view their loved one without the requirement that they be preserved by any chemical means.
By demystifying death we grow closer to those we lose, gaining a deeper understanding for and comfort with the natural cycle of our time on earth.
For more information on the concept of natural burial, the Order Of The Good Death is a helpful resource.
Some examples of green burial caskets:
Serving the entire State of New Jersey, Eastern PA and Southern NY, including these local areas:
Ewing, New Jersey green burials
Robbinsville, New Jersey green burials
Princeton, New Jersey green burials
Lawrenceville, New Jersey green burials
Hamilton, New Jersey green burials
West Windsor, New Jersey
East Windsor, New Jersey
Pennington, New Jersey
Hopewell, New Jersey
Monroe Township, New Jersey
Flemington, New Jersey
Bordentown, New Jersey
Yardley, Pennsylvania
Newtown, Pennsylvania
Langhorne, Pennsylvania
New Hope, Pennsylvania
Levittown, Pennsylvania
Mercer County, New Jersey
Middlesex County, New Jersey
Hunterdon County New Jersey
Bucks County, Pennsylvania