Cremation, composting, and mushroom suits: understanding your after-death body options
Let’s look at what can actually happen to your body after you die…
When you die, decisions will need to be made about what happens to your body. And while most people default to burial or cremation, there are far more options than you might expect.
From turning into soil to being laid to rest at sea—or even suiting up with mushrooms—your body disposition can be an extension of your values, your humor, or your care for the planet. This guide walks through your options, from the familiar to the unconventional, so you can start thinking about what feels right to you.
If you’re considering a non-traditional option, it’s a good idea to check that your preferred funeral home can accommodate it—or seek out a provider that specializes in that type of service. Not all funeral homes offer every option listed here, and some methods may require coordination with alternative providers.
Traditional options (a.k.a. what most people know)
Burial
Standard ground burial is still a common option in the U.S. It usually involves embalming, a casket, a vault, and a cemetery plot.
Why people choose this:
It’s familiar and widely available
Offers a physical place to visit and remember
May align with religious or cultural practices
Other things to keep in mind:
Higher cost due to multiple components (plot, vault, casket, services)
Embalming uses formaldehyde, a toxic chemical that can leach into the ground
Vaults and metal caskets slow down natural decomposition
Average cost: $7,000–$12,000
Cremation
Now more common than burial in the U.S., cremation involves reducing the body to ashes using high heat. It’s faster and often cheaper, but it still carries an environmental cost due to fossil fuel use.
Why people choose this:
Lower cost than burial
No need for a burial plot
Offers flexibility—ashes can be kept, scattered, or incorporated into memorial objects
Faster and simpler process
Other things to keep in mind:
Releases pollutants: can release mercury and other toxins, though filters help
Uses a lot of energy: Relies on fossil fuels; not the most eco-friendly option
Average cost: $1,000–$4,000
Greener options
Green burial
No embalming. No metal caskets. No concrete vaults. Just a biodegradable container or shroud in a natural setting—so your body can break down naturally. Often happens in conservation cemeteries.
Why people choose this:
More environmentally sustainable than traditional burial
Encourages land conservation when done in a certified green or conservation cemetery
Can still offer a physical burial site to visit
Other things to keep in mind:
Fewer providers offer this, though it’s growing in availability
May not allow for traditional headstones (natural markers or GPS coordinates used instead)
Average cost: $2,000–$4,000
Composting (a.k.a. natural organic reduction or soil transformation)
This process gently transforms your body into nutrient-rich soil over several weeks, using controlled heat, moisture, and airflow. Legal in a growing number of states, and increasingly popular for its ecological footprint. Some providers even donate the resulting soil to conservation efforts, such as forest restoration or land reclamation projects.
Why people choose this:
One of the most eco-friendly options available
Converts your body into something nourishing
Symbolically powerful for those who value sustainability
Other things to keep in mind
Harder to find / get access to
Only legal in some states, but expanding
Uses less energy and water than cremation
Average cost: $3,000–$7,000
Mushroom burial shrouds
Yes, this is real. Special burial garments infused with mushroom spores that help break down your body and neutralize toxins—turning you into clean, life-giving matter.
Why people choose this:
Aligns with ecological and philosophical beliefs about renewal
Helps remediate toxins in the body
Biodegradable and low-impact
Other things to keep in mind
Must be used with a green burial
Still relatively niche—may require sourcing your own shroud and finding a willing cemetery
Minimal environmental footprint
Average cost: $1,500–$2,500 (often plus burial costs)
Alkaline hydrolysis (a.k.a. aquamation or water cremation)
Uses water, heat, and alkaline chemicals to break the body down—leaving behind only bones (which are ground into ash). It uses less energy than cremation and creates no emissions. Legal in some—but not all—states.
Why people choose this:
Low-emission and energy-efficient
Produces sterile liquid and ash-like remains
Other things to keep in mind
Not yet legal in all states
Requires specialized equipment and providers
Average cost: $1,500–$3,000
Sea burial
Legal with permits, sea burial means being placed in the ocean—either in a traditional casket, weighted biodegradable container, or scattered as ashes. Must follow EPA regulations, but appeals to those who feel most at home in the water.
Why people choose this:
Strong symbolic resonance for those who love the sea
Simpler and often lower-cost
Ash scatterings are flexible and meaningful
Other things to keep in mind
Full-body sea burials require specific materials and permits
Must happen at least 3 nautical miles from shore (per EPA rules)
Whole-body burials may require special prep and biodegradable caskets
Average cost: $500–$5,000
For science
Body donation (a.k.a. give it to science)
There are several paths here. It’s often no-cost and can be a meaningful way to contribute to science. You can donate your body to:
Medical schools for education and training
Hospitals for surgical practice
Forensic programs (like body farms) that study decomposition
Why people choose this:
Deeply meaningful—benefits future doctors, scientists, or communities
Typically no cost
Sometimes includes free cremation after research is completed
Other things to keep in mind:
Not all programs accept all bodies—pre-registration is important
You may not have full visibility into how your body will be used—some programs offer general outlines, but not specific details
You may not receive remains back (or it could take months)
Average cost: Typically free (some programs cover transportation and cremation)
How to choose
Start by asking: What matters to you? Cost? Environmental impact? Spiritual or cultural beliefs? Do you want a physical place for others to visit, or is a memorial enough?
You don’t have to decide this today. But thinking about it now means you get to shape your own exit—and relieve your loved ones from having to guess later.
Want help making it official?
Use our Advance Planning Course to record your preferences—including what happens to your body. It includes guidance, space to note your wishes, and a checklist to make sure the people handling things actually know what you want.
