Original Green Burial Council Publications
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The following original GBC materials were researched and developed with both industry professionals and the public in mind. All are free to download and share to help spread the word about green burial best practices. You will also find many of these articles published in Changing Landscapes: Exploring the growth of ethical, compassionate, and environmentally sustainable green funeral service. If there is a topic you are curious about that has not yet been addressed, please contact the Education team at lee@greenburialcouncil.org

Greenhaven Preserve,​ Eastover, SC

For the Public

On the Way to the Green Burial Cemetery: A Guide for Families
​For many of us, what to do when someone dies is new territory. When they have chosen to be buried in a green cemetery, it may be particularly unfamiliar. This booklet is designed to walk families through prior to the experience so they won’t be surprised by what they are about to see and participate in.

The Science Behind Green Burial
​From how bodies decompose to what the ramifications are on soil and water, this article discusses the major science-based concerns many people have regarding green burial.

To Lie Down in Green Pastures: How the Catholic Church is leading the way in green burial
​The recent encyclical on nature and the environment by Pope Francis brought Catholic doctrine and the fast-moving trend toward green burial in Catholic cemeteries into alignment. Read why the Church is supporting and, in fact, leading the way by creating hallowed ground designated for unfettered, earth to earth, full body burial for the faithful.

Frequently Asked Questions PDFs
Green Burial Defined
Hybrid Cemeteries
Conservation Burial Grounds

​For Professionals

Opening, Closing, and Maintaining a Green Burial Cemetery
​Though each green burial ground will have region‐specific soil, water, plant, animal habitat, and cultural differences and concerns, these basic suggestions may be useful when developing your cemetery’s procedures and protocols.

Start-Up Tips for Green Burial Cemetery Operators
​This comprehensive walk through is designed to help would‐be green cemetery operators parse out some of the appropriate and necessary steps to take in opening or converting cemetery space.

Offering Green Burial Options in Your Hybrid Cemetery
​If you are a cemetery trustee, member of a cemetery or historical commission, selectman, town clerk, city registrar, town or city planner, public works superintendent, or county official in some capacity that oversees cemeteries, this is the how-to for you. 

FAQs for Hybrid Cemetery Operators
​We asked hybrid cemetery operators what questions they were asked when they initiated their start up and for their best recommendations. Everything you ever wanted to know in one place!

Suggested Green Goods and Services for Funeral Professionals
​This simple list was created with the help of the Federal Trade Commission, and it is meant to widen the scope of what professionals may choose to offer green burial and home funeral families. It is excerpted here from the book Essentials for Practicing Home Funeral Guides.

Planning & Advocacy

Your Green Burial Planning Guide
​A succinct, easy to use fill‐in worksheet that helps define goals, indicate preferences and choices, and identify persons designated to complete an individual’s final wishes.

Going Out Green: Four Ways to Ensure an Eco-Friendly Burial
​A detailed explanation of what you can do and what to look for when searching for green burial space.

10 Things You Can Do or Say to Promote Green Burial
​Persuasive talking points and facts that support the concept at your fingertips. Sometimes it's not just what you say but how you say it. If you are eager to have a green burial cemetery near you, try these tips for helping others understand what you need.

Glossary of Green Burial Terms
​Be a better advocate for green burial by knowing what all those terms mean. Advocates have worked together to make sure we are all singing from the page. And learn stuff you never knew you needed to know!