Are Natural Burials an Option in Minnesota?

Natural burials are an option in Minnesota. The state has several natural and hybrid burial grounds, and Interra Green Burial by Mueller Memorial is certified by the Green Burial Council to provide this service. Although there was a two-year moratorium issued in 2023 on creating new green cemeteries for further study, natural burials can still be performed. The moratorium results are expected in 2025, when it is set to expire.

What is Flameless Cremation?

Flameless cremation, also known as alkaline hydrolysis or water cremation, is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional flame cremation. This process uses a combination of water flow, temperature, and alkalinity to accelerate natural tissue disintegration, resulting in cremated remains that can be buried, kept in an urn, placed at a conservation tree, or scattered.

How Does Flameless Cremation Work?

In flameless cremation, the body is placed in a pressure vessel and submerged in a solution of 95% water and 5% potassium hydroxide and/or sodium hydroxide. The vessel is heated to 200-300 degrees Fahrenheit, which is lower than the temperatures used in traditional flame cremations.

Is Flameless Cremation Environmentally Friendly?

Flameless cremation is significantly more environmentally friendly than traditional methods. It uses lower temperatures, does not burn propane or natural gas, and reduces carbon emissions.

Is Flameless Cremation Safe and Legal?

Flameless cremation is both safe and legal. It ensures environmentally responsible handling of remains, allows for the extraction and recycling of medical implants, and has been legal in Minnesota since its endorsement by the Mayo Clinic for its ecological benefits and efficient handling of medical implants.

How Much Does Flameless Cremation Cost?

The cost of flameless cremation varies by location and funeral home but is generally comparable to or slightly higher than traditional cremation. The specialized equipment and reduced environmental impact often justify the cost for many families.

What is a Natural Burial?

A natural burial is an eco-friendly funeral practice that allows the body to return to the earth in an environmentally conscious manner. It minimizes the use of chemicals, like embalming fluids, and avoids materials like concrete used in traditional burial vaults. By forgoing these practices, natural burial conserves resources, prevents pollution, and reduces carbon footprint.

What is a Natural Burial Option?

Natural burial options include choices for an eco-friendly burial, such as using natural burial caskets, selecting a green burial site, or integrating cremated remains into natural burial grounds.

What is a Natural Burial Cemetery?

A natural burial cemetery, like Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery, is specifically designed for natural burials. These cemeteries have minimal environmental impact and often resemble natural landscapes rather than traditional cemeteries.

How Many Burials Do Not Involve Embalming?

This leaves 885,320 burials with possible embalming. According to former Green Burial Council President, Ed Bixby it’s estimated that 8% of people choose green burials. (3) Whether that includes those people buried without embalming in the Jewish and Muslim traditions, he did not specify, but if we’re generous and say it is 8% of people already choosing burial and are in addition to Jewish and Muslim burials, that would subtract another 70,825 from annual embalmings. This would mean, in the United States there are an estimated 814,500 burials with embalming per year.

How Many Gallons Of Embalming Fluid Are Used Per Person?

Roughly three gallons are used. What percentage of that is formaldehyde depends on the practitioner and what someone considers “embalming fluid”. Rarely, practitioners will use undiluted embalming solution, but the vast majority use a diluted solution.

What Is Embalming Fluid Made Of?

There are generally 16oz of concentrated embalming solution diluted with 112 oz of water to create one gallon of usable embalming fluid. So, each gallon of commonly used embalming fluid is more than 87.5% water. Each manufacturer has a proprietary formula to their 16oz concentrated embalming solution, but according to manufacturer, Dodge’s Safety Data Sheet (10) for their commonly used Metasyn Normal concentrated embalming solution, 1.6-4 oz. (10-25%) is formaldehyde, a regulated carcinogen. Other regulated substances included are up to 0.8 oz each of methanol and propylene glycol, neither of which is a regulated carcinogen.

How Much Embalming Fluid Is Used Per Body?

There is a broad rule of thumb that one gallon of embalming fluid is used per 50 pounds of body weight. But the amount of embalming fluid used also depends on the size of the person. In practice, it generally works out to an average of about 3 gallons of embalming fluid per body, of which up to 12 oz is formaldehyde.

Is Green Burial Legal in Minnesota?

Yes, green burial in Minnesota is legal. The state allows for natural burials, where the body is not embalmed and can be buried in a biodegradable coffin or shroud. Minnesota hosts several green cemeteries and allows hybrid cemeteries, which accommodate both traditional and green burials.

Is Green Burial Legal in Arizona?

Snow birds might like to know that Arizona also permits green burials. The state's regulations support eco-friendly burial practices, including the use of biodegradable materials and the option to forgo embalming. This makes Arizona an accommodating place for those wishing to opt for a green burial.

Is Green Burial Illegal in Minnesota Now?

Because of a green burial law that passed in Minnesota in 2022 some people think that green burial is illegal in MN, which is incorrect. As part of the Omnibus bill that passed in 2023 there was a small piece of legislation with a bigger impact, but it did not make green burial illegal in Minnesota. What it did do is create a moratorium on new green burial cemeteries through 2025 when the law is set to expire.

Why Did the Moratorium Happen?

A small group of citizens in Northern Minnesota were upset about a green burial cemetery being established in their community and their concerns turned into legislation requiring the state to fund and study the impact of all-natural burial. It also prohibited any new green cemeteries or conservation burial grounds until July 2025. Being that green burial was the form of disposition for every interred human in history until embalming became popularized during the Civil War, we’re confident that allowing a body to naturally return to the Earth will be found to be safe.

Can I Bury Someone In My Yard?

It depends on local ordinances and how much work you’re willing to do. In Minnesota, if you want to bury a human body on private land, that land has to be identified as cemetery property in perpetuity. This also means that cemetery land would need to a permitted land use in your city’s code and also that specific funding needs to be set aside to maintain that cemetery land in perpetuity.

What is Body Composting?

Body composting, or human composting, is a process that transforms human remains into highly regenerative soil, often used in tree planting, conservation projects, gardens, or woodlands. It's part of a broader movement towards green burial services, including natural burials and other ecological burial practices. Unlike traditional burials, body composting is an environmentally friendly method that avoids the use of embalming fluids, metal caskets, concrete burial vaults, and perpetual land use.

How Does Body Composting Work?

The human composting process, scientifically referred to as natural organic reduction (NOR), involves placing the human body in a vessel with organic materials like wood chips, straw, and alfalfa. Over a span of several weeks, natural microbial activity breaks down the tissue, transforming it into a cubic yard of nutrient dense compost. This method mirrors the natural aerobic (oxygen using) decomposition process but occurs in a controlled environment. Though each NOR provider has their own specific method, Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, chair of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at Washington State University, has worked with NOR advocate Katrina Spade pioneering the development and refinement the human composting process. The body, along with the organic materials and air flow, undergoes a natural, heat-producing process that accelerates decomposition while eliminating pathogens and capturing the body’s carbon. The end product is a nutrient-rich soil that can support plant growth, allowing the deceased to be returned to the earth in a meaningful way.

Is Body Composting Legal?

The legality of body composting varies by location. In the United States, it was first legalized in Washington state, setting a precedent for other states to follow. Since then, other states have been considering or have passed legislation to allow this process as a part of green burials.

What are the Benefits of Body Composting?

Body composting offers several benefits over conventional burial and cremation methods: Environmental Impact: Traditional burials often involve embalming fluids, and the manufacturing and transportation of caskets and vaults which carry a carbon footprint. Cremation consumes fuel and releases greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, local body composting produces no direct carbon emissions, sequesters the carbon from the body in the soil keeping it from entering the atmosphere, and requires significantly fewer consumable resources. Conservation: The process transforms human remains into soil that can be used to nourish the earth. It's a way of giving back to the environment, contributing to the growth of plants and the conservation of natural spaces. Cost-Effective: The human composting cost can be lower than traditional burials or cremations. While prices vary, local NOR providers are often considered a more affordable green funeral option. Emotional and Spiritual Benefits: For many, the idea of being laid to rest in a natural and meaningful way is comforting, helping to create a positive outcome from the end of their life. The process of human composting aligns with the beliefs of those who seek the continuity of simply returning to the earth. Space Conservation: In areas where burial space is limited or land is scarce, body composting offers a space-efficient alternative whole-body burial. The composted remains can return to the earth without requiring that land be designated, in perpetuity, as cemetery land.

Why Support Body Composting?

Natural organic reduction not only aligns with the principles of environmental stewardship but also offers a deeply personal and meaningful option for being laid to rest. The transformation of human remains into soil is a profound process, symbolizing the cycle of life in a tangible way. As we continue to seek sustainable and meaningful ways to say goodbye to our loved ones, body composting stands out as a beacon of hope, offering a choice that is both respectful to the departed and kind to the planet.

How Does Water Cremation Work?

In water cremation, the body is placed in a vessel filled with a water and alkali solution. The liquid in the vessel is then heated, but at a drastically lower heat than used in flame cremation. The combination of the heat, fluid movement, water, and alkali breaks down the soft tissue, leaving behind the bone material and a sterile liquid.

What is Water Cremation and How Does It Differ from Flame Cremation?

Water cremation reduces a body using water and alkali, whereas flame cremation uses combustible fossil fuels. Flame cremation involves reducing the body at very high temperatures, and water cremation uses roughly five times less heat, but both result in processed bone material or “ashes,” being returned to the family in an urn or receptacle.

Is Water Cremation More Environmentally Friendly than Flame Cremation?

Water cremation is generally considered more environmentally friendly than traditional flame cremation. It uses electricity to heat the solution and doesn’t directly emit fossil fuel exhaust into the atmosphere. Aquamation also captures the carbon from the body in the solution producing a sterile liquid that can safely be returned to the wastewater system.

Is Water Cremation More Expensive than Flame Cremation?

The cost of water cremation can vary depending on location and provider. In some cases, often it is more costly than traditional flame cremation due to the specialized equipment required and the longer processing time. However, at Interra Green Burial we want to encourage families to use this ecological cremation option, so an aquamation without services is less than Mueller Memorial’s flame cremation.

I Just Want to Be a Tree | Interra Green Burial

Taelor Johnson • February 24, 2025

Minnesota's Options for Green Burial

Have you ever thought, “When I die, I just want to be a tree”? At Interra, we completely understand—after all, returning peacefully to nature is more than just a charming sentiment; it’s a profound expression of your identity and values. While most funeral service providers limit your options to traditional burial or flame cremation, we offer innovative, earth-friendly alternatives that align with your unique life and commitment to sustainability.

Natural Burial: Return Gracefully to Nature

Willow and seagrass woven green burial casket with a spray of flowers on top of it.

Natural burial is currently Minnesota's most sustainable burial choice, seamlessly aligning environmental awareness with personal values. Forgoing embalming chemicals, metal, lacquered wood caskets, or concrete vaults, this option naturally returns you to the earth within a biodegradable casket or shroud made from organic materials such as linen, bamboo, and willow.

Choosing natural burial also empowers you to decide your preferred shade of "green" burial based on the policies of your chosen cemetery. Whether in traditional, hybrid, or dedicated green burial grounds, we can work with your cemetery to ensure your resting place will be as natural as possible.

Alkaline Hydrolysis (Water Cremation): Gentle, Safe, and Sustainable

Woman with an urn in her hands standing in front of a table with two canisters on it and some gardening tools at Better Place Forests in Minnesota

Alkaline hydrolysis, also known as aquamation or water cremation, represents an ecological alternative to traditional flame cremation. This modern process gently utilizes 95% water, moderate heat, and 5% alkaline solutions to naturally return your body to its fundamental elements without harmful emissions.

Water cremation is both respectful and environmentally friendly. It significantly reduces energy consumption and eliminates harmful greenhouse gases. The sterile solution produced, complete with sequestered carbon, is nearly neutral and can be safely returned to Minnesota's water processing systems, ultimately rejoining the natural ecosystem.

The remains returned to the family are nearly the same as flame cremated remains and can be thoughtfully memorialized: scattered on cherished private lands, buried in a cemetery, integrated into unique jewelry or gemstones, transformed into commemorative stones, or laid to rest in serene conservation areas such as Better Place Forests in St. Croix, MN.

Natural Organic Reduction (Composting): A Legacy of Life

Two hands cupping black soil and a seedling over a forest floor

Natural Organic Reduction (NOR), also referred to as body composting, is a pioneering choice for those who seek a personal, deeply meaningful approach to the end-of-life journey. This revolutionary method naturally transforms human remains into nutrient-rich compost, capturing our essential elements of life to foster new growth and renewal–like becoming part of a growing tree.

During this respectful and carefully managed process, the body is gently placed within a specialized vessel accompanied by organic materials such as wood chips, straw, or sawdust. Over several weeks, natural microbial action and carefully monitored aerobic conditions gradually transform the body to rich organic soil. Every stage is meticulously overseen, ensuring the utmost dignity, safety, and environmental integrity.

The resulting compost, scientifically validated for safety and quality, creates a lasting and beautiful legacy. This nourishing soil can nurture new life, planting the seeds for vibrant gardens, lush forests, or memorial plantings, truly reflecting a profound commitment to our earth’s continual renewal.

At Interra, your choices echo your values. Embrace an exceptional and meaningful legacy by using our website to explore these innovative, ecological options.

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Hands holding black soil with the words NOR education event Mar 20 University of Minnesota

Natural Organic Reduction Event at U of M

By Interra by Mueller Memorial • March 13, 2025

Join the University of Minnesota Program of Mortuary Science for a panel discussion exploring natural organic reduction (body composting) on March 20th 2025, 4-6pm, in Minneapolis

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Twin Cities Green Funeral Expo Oct 19 | Interra Green Burial

By Taelor Johnson • October 9, 2024

This free Green Funeral Expo offers presentations and Q&A with experts in the more sustainable end of life options including natural burial, water cremation, and the Twin Cities' newest option, natural organic reduction (composting).

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By Taelor Johnson • April 18, 2024

When we talk about sustainable, green burlal disposition options, one statistic is frequently presented but often seen with wide variation, the question of how many gallons of embalming fluid are buried each year in the United States.

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Aquamation, the Eco-Friendly Choice for green burial

Aquamation Cremation: Why it is the Eco-Friendly Choice | Interra Green Burial

By Taelor Johnson • February 22, 2024

Choosing aquamation is a meaningful way to select a green burial disposition similar to cremation while minimizing your environmental impact.

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St. Paul:

835 Johnson Pkwy Ste B
St. Paul, MN 55016, USA

Phone: 651-774-9797

Fax: 651-778-9677

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4738 Bald Eagle Ave Ste B, White Bear Lake, MN 55110, USA

Phone: 651-429-4944

Fax: 651-429-7748

Mueller Memorial:

muellermemorial.com

651-774-9797

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