First Certified Green Burial Area in Arkansas Traditional burial rituals have been “Green” for thousands of years, being performed without a casket, symbolizing the return to the Earth and the dust from which you were created; honoring the natural process intended for our bodies to be reunited with the earth.
Are natural burials legal in Arkansas?
Yes. No state law requires the use of a casket for burial. A person can be directly interred in the earth, in a shroud, or in a vault without a casket. Funeral homes and cemeteries may have their own rules regarding casket use.
How do you get buried on your own property in Arkansas?
If you want to bury a body on private land, you may be permitted to establish a family graveyard. Contact the local health department and check town and county zoning laws before you proceed. You must register a family graveyard with the county clerk before holding a burial.
Do you have to be embalmed in Arkansas?
There is no law in Arkansas that requires a human body to be embalmed. Arkansas law does require that if a human body is not embalmed, it must be refrigerated, buried, or cremated within twenty-four hours after death.
How can I get a natural burial?
A natural burial does not use embalming fluid, a casket, or a burial vault. Instead, the remains are placed directly into the earth, allowing the body to decompose naturally. The process has minimum impact on the environment.
What is the difference between a green burial and a natural burial?
Green burials do away with both the embalming chemicals and the extraneous cement, steel or other non-biodegradable materials conventional burials put into the earth, and lack the carbon footprint of cremation, which has been calculated to be the equivalent of a 500-mile car journey.
Can you bury a casket in your backyard?
There are no laws that prohibit home burial, You must check local zoning laws for restrictions on home burials. It is also legally required to use a funeral director, even if you are burying on private land. Embalming is only required if a person died of a contagious disease.
Can I bury my mom in my backyard?
According to California law, anyone who “deposits or disposes of any human remains in any place, except in a cemetery, is guilty of a misdemeanor” and could face jail time or a fine up to $10,000.
What is the cheapest way to be buried?
Direct cremation is the least expensive way to bury your loves one. It is done respectfully, and gives your and your family time to find the most personal and affordable burial option.
How much does a burial plot cost in Arkansas?
Grave Plots $200.00 – $250.00 / Cemetery requires an outer burial container, which is your choice of a vault or concrete box/Opening and Closing of grave Monday – Friday $400.00 / Weekends $500.00 / Holidays $600.00 / Cremains $200 (family can bury at no charge)/ No after hour charge/ Contact Maurce Watkins 870-219-
Is it illegal to spread ashes in Arkansas?
In Your Yard or Other Private Property – in Arkansas, as with a majority of other states throughout the country, there are no state-wide laws that prevent you from scattering ashes in your yard or other property you own.
How long can a body sit without being embalmed?
A body presents little threat to public health in the first day following the death. However, after 24 hours the body will need some level of embalming. A mortuary will be able to preserve the body for approximately a week. Regardless of the embalming, decomposition will begin after one week.
What is the average cost of a funeral in Arkansas?
The average funeral cost is between $7,000 and $9,000, with the median cost being $7,360.
Average Funeral Cost by State 2022.
| State | Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Funeral Cost | $6,746 |
| End of Life Cost | $11,934 |
| Total Cost | $18,680 |
In what states is natural burial legal?
Home burials are legal in all but Arkansas, California, Indiana, Louisiana, Washington state, and the District of Columbia, with some states stating that burials must be in established cemeteries; however, one can establish a family cemetery on one’s own property by following state and local regulations and/or filing
Can your body be buried without a casket?
No state law requires use of a casket for burial or cremation. If a burial vault is being used, there is no inherent requirement to use a casket. A person can be directly interred in the earth, in a shroud, or in a vault without a casket.
Is a natural burial legal?
Green Burial Sites in the USA
The green burial process is legal in all U.S. states, however, local laws and regulations are used to regulate the process. For example, some state laws mandate refrigeration or embalming of bodies for more than 24 hours.
Are you embalmed for natural burial?
Natural burial sites require biodegradable coffins and don’t allow the use of embalming. This means that nothing harmful goes into the ground, and means that the body will return to nature more quickly. Sites are managed in a way which actively encourages local wildlife.
Who prepares the body for a green burial?
Families and friends or spiritual community care teams bathe and dress the body at home, sometimes staying 1-3 days, depending on what the family wants and the burial schedule permits.
Can I be buried without embalming?
“No state requires embalming as a condition of being buried. No state law requires a coffin or casket. No state requires a concrete vault.” Still, he acknowledged that many who choose green burial may prefer not to be put in the ground between plots with vaults, caskets and embalmed bodies.
What is a grave without a body called?
Cenotaph – a grave where the body is not present; a memorial erected as over a grave, but at a place where the body has not been interred. A cenotaph may look exactly like any other grave in terms of marker and inscription.
How long does a casket last in the ground?
How long does a coffin last? There is no coffin or casket that will last forever. Bronze or copper caskets will tend to last longer but they will also break down over time, bronze will last the longest though. On average, the casket will last to about as little as 5 to 20 years or as long as 80 till 125 years.