Planning a funeral calls for some important decision-making, like choosing between a burial or cremation. But the problem with these conventional choices? Traditional burial practices utilize embalming methods (preserving bodies with chemicals) and cremation releases harmful greenhouse gases that wreak havoc on the environment. The good news is, increasingly, Americans are seeking more eco-friendly burial options. In fact, greener funerals are on the rise. With these environmentally-friendly funerals, there are no embalming chemicals, burial sites are surrounded by wildflowers and trees instead of artificial grasses, and bodies naturally decompose. Not only are these burials healthier for the environment but they’re also less expensive, and to some, more meaningful and personal.

The State of Washington is taking this issue a step further. It recently became the first state to legalize recomposition (the process of turning bodies into compost.) Need a visual reference for what that means? One human body will be equivalent to two big wheelbarrows of soil. Want to find out more? Check out this recent New York Times article that provides a thorough overview of Washington’s new law and compares composting to traditional funeral practices. And if you’re motivated to think even further outside the burial box, take a look at this recent post about memorial space flights, a more adventurous funeral idea that launches your remains into space.