Is green burial legal?
Yes. Except in cases of very rare diseases, such as cholera, there is nothing in federal, state or local law that requires embalming, caskets, grave markers, burial vaults or grave liners. (However, some funeral directors and cemetery operators may imply that these items are required by law, because sales of these services increases their profits.) In addition, burial vaults and liners reduce land settling on grave sites and, thus, make it easier to mow the grass, so traditional cemeteries may require them for this reason. Unembalmed bodies must be buried within 24-hours or be refrigerated, but certified green funeral homes provide refrigeration services.
