A Guide To Burial Products

In order to facilitate the burial, products you may need include:

• Casket
• Burial vault or grave liner
• Headstone or a grave marker

Burial Product Options

For most burial products, there should be many options for you to choose from, depending on price, style, and personal preference. If the vendor you are shopping with doesn't have the product or price you want, consider shopping around—another vendor is likely to have the product or price you're looking for.

To learn about your options for caskets, see our article Caskets.

To determine if you'd prefer a burial vault or a grave liner, see our article Burial Vaults and Grave Liners.

Personal Advocacy

According to the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule, you have the right to purchase any funeral products (such as a casket, urn, flowers, etc.) from the retailer of your choice and the funeral home must use those products without additional charge. However, the cemetery, which is not covered by the Funeral Rule, may charge you a fee for bringing in products from outside vendors.

Green Burial Products

If you are having a green burial, the products you will need to purchase must conform with the green standards of the green cemetery or burial ground.

The basic features of green burial products include:

• All finishes and adhesives must not contain any plastics, acrylics, or synthetic polymer materials
• All finishes and adhesives must not release toxic by-products in the facility where the product is manufactured
• Materials must be produced and harvested in environmentally sustainable manners or must be produced using reclaimed or recycled materials
• The transportation of materials to the manufacturer and the transportation of the product to the consumer may not exceed 3000 miles

To learn about green caskets, see our article Green Caskets.

To learn about green headstones, see our article Green Headstones and Grave Markers.

To find a green funeral home, use our resource Guide: Finding a Green Funeral Home.