A Guide to Green Burial Services and Cemeteries in Texas

Overview – the shift from traditional funerals to cremation, to natural burial

There is an increasing demand for more affordable and yet sustainable death care practices.  Cremation has completely disrupted the traditional death care industry in the United States in the last decade.  Largely, cremation became a more affordable alternative for many families who could not afford to pay for a full traditional funeral.

According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the average cost of a traditional American funeral is $7,848. Yet, this does not include any cemetery costs, which would bring the cost closer to $10,000. The average cost of a cremation funeral is $5,150, so we can immediately see the savings. 

Traditional burial is not environmentally friendly. It involves chemicals, steel, and concrete being entombed in the earth.  The process of embalming is unnatural and largely unnecessary.  It is NOT legally required in any state unless there is a public health concern.  Even funeral home staff expose themselves to risk by working with these poisonous chemicals.

Cremation seemed to offer a more sustainable alternative.  Yet, cremation needs an energy source that sends emissions into the environment.  The average cremation uses as much gas as a 500-mile car journey.  In addition, the emissions from burning synthetic materials, such as body implants and mercury dental fillings, contribute to air-borne mercury pollution.

Why Choose a Green Burial in Texas?

We all know that climate change is real.  Maybe we feel it is our politicians’ concern, or it is not going to affect us and ours.  But, simply changing a death care choice to a natural burial could have a massive impact on greenhouse gas emissions and ensure our final legacy is one of unity and positivity for the planet.

Recent surveys have indicated that more Americans are interested in a green funeral, but limited options exist.

We want to change that and help make green burial a realistic and empowering choice for Texans. So, we have put together this guide to help you learn more and understand more about your green burial choices in Texas.

Joe Sehee, the Green Burial Council founder, said, “This concept resonates with Texans more than any other state. Those favoring the green option here often are not doing it as a final act of environmental activism, he said, but out of a desire to be close to the land, to return to biblical practices, or as an alternative to embalming without choosing cremation.”

We have researched green burial service providers in Texas.  Some of these may be green burial sites that will assist you in conducting your green funeral.  Others are funeral service providers who offer a natural burial package and will help you conduct a natural preparation of your loved one, ready for transfer to a green cemetery in Texas.

What does a natural burial cost?

There are three factors to consider when considering the cost of a green burial. Firstly, let’s look at the cost of a green burial plot. You can purchase a single burial plot, a companion plot, or a family plot.

Prices for plots differ at the green burial sites in Texas, but it is fair to say that a single plot can be purchased for as little as $300, although the average cost of a green burial plot is closer to $1,400. 

In addition to purchasing the actual grave plot, the natural burial site may charge a small open/close plot fee.  In other words, you buy a plot of land for the grave, and then they charge you the cost to dig the grave when the burial occurs. This fee is usually between $300 – $600.

Secondly, you need to consider some biodegradable burial receptacles.  The basic options are a simple wood pine casket, wicker, willow, or bamboo casket, pressed cardboard, or a linen burial shroud.  What you choose will determine your cost.  You also need to check with your natural burial cemetery, as they may have a preference for what receptacles they accept.

A burial shroud costs $300, and a biodegradable wicker or bamboo casket costs $900 to $1,500.

Finally, it would help if you decided whether you would employ the services of a funeral director.  There are several green funeral service providers in Texas.  Their professional services include collecting the deceased, storage in refrigeration as required, obtaining the death certificate and any burial or transport permit required, and transporting the deceased to the burial ground for interment. 

The average funeral home service charge for a green funeral in Texas is between $2,000 to $4,000.

Of course, there is no legal requirement to employ a funeral director. You can apply to the county for the death certificate and burial permit, conduct a home (DIY) funeral by keeping the deceased on dry ice (permitted for 24 hours), and arrange your own transportation to the green burial site.

Death certificates cost $20.00, and burial permits are either at no cost or a small fee.

Reviewing these aspects of green funeral costs, we can estimate that a simple, home-made green burial could be conducted for under $1,500. 

However, if you elect to use the services of a funeral home, and depending on the cemetery and casket costs, a green funeral could cost between $2,500 and $3,500.

How many green funeral service providers are there in Texas?

This is difficult to determine as not all funeral homes offering green funeral services list them on their websites. As interest in natural burial options grows, more funeral homes are beginning to cater to this demand as well. The Green Burial Council lists one provider in San Antonio, and A Greener Funeral.org lists five green funeral homes in Texas.

I undertook my own research and have included listings below for the green funeral service providers I could locate in Texas.

How do we locate a green funeral service provider?

An important starting point is to ‘choose which shade of green’ you aspire to.  The most conservationist natural burial possible, or are you content to have a simple, natural burial in a hybrid cemetery?  Hybrid cemeteries are traditional cemeteries that have designated a ‘green’ section for natural burial. Conservation burial grounds (CBG)  and natural burial parks (NB) adhere to stricter rules about restoring an area’s natural habitat and wildlife. They may specify certain restrictions on burial receptacles and memorial markers.

How do I find a green cemetery in Texas?

You can use our directory of green burial sites to locate a green cemetery in Texas.  Ethician Family Cemetery in Texas is an extensive conservation burial ground with 4 cemeteries.  It operates as a not-for-profit Church Foundation offering affordable burials and even free burials (supported by donations from benefactors) within its four cemeteries.  They even have a designated cemetery for veterans and for children who die young or in unfortunate circumstances.  The Ethician cemetery is a life-long philanthropic endeavor of George Russell and his wife. The usual donation charge for a burial plot is $1,000, but as it operates as a charity, burial plot fees can be as low as $300.  The foundation will even fund a burial plot if the situation of the family or individual needs help with laying their loved one to rest.

The conservation burial ground covers 3,000 acres of wildlife sanctuaries and botanical preserves on 12 miles of shoreline on Lake Livingston.   Ethician Family Cemetery has a 10-acre Chapel of the Nativity site and a Buddhist Temple, where they also accept cremated remains for burial or scattering.   The cemetery merely asks for the name and information about the deceased for their cemetery records.

As the 3,000 acres is a dedicated wildlife preserve, it also hosts an Institute For Strategic Biospheric Studies and can offer accommodation at its guest houses in the Rain Lily Sanctuary for those who wish to visit.

Eloise Woods Community Natural Burial Park, set in 9.4 acres of beautiful Texas countryside close to Austin, was founded in 2009 by Ellen McDonald.  Although not a funeral director, Ellen was inspired by the notion of creating a natural burial park that would allow families to bury their loved ones and feel more connected to the natural landscape.

The natural burial park has wooded areas, gardens, and meadows, along with walking trails.   Burials are conducted in biodegradable caskets or shrouds, and small organic memorial markers are permitted.

A single burial plot costs $2,800, with opening and closing costs at $1,200.  Burying cremated remains costs $800.

Can I conduct a natural burial on my land in Texas?

Yes, it is perfectly legal to use your own land as a cemetery in Texas.  According to the Texas Health and Safety Code, you can declare your own cemetery on private land.  The land must remain under 10 acres to avoid the complex cemetery licensing laws that regulate the funeral industry.  Each county or municipality may have zoning laws that govern the establishment of a family cemetery, so you should check with your county clerk to determine any ‘rules’ that may apply in your county. 

It is recommended (and even sometimes required) that a map marking the burial location be filed with the property deed.

Texas law requires that a body not finally disposed of within 24 hours after death be embalmed, refrigerated, or placed in an approved, sealed container.  To ensure a natural burial, arrangements should be made to inter the body on your own land within 24 hours after the passing.

Visit our Green Burials section for more articles about natural burial, DIY Home Funerals, biodegradable burial products, and making your own natural burial receptacle.

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