“If what you’re looking for is to leave the planet as responsibly as you can, natural burial is your only option,” says Lee Webster, a speaker, author, educator, and former president of Green Burial Council International. Webster says NOR is often mistaken for green burial, but it doesn’t involve burial at all. Unlike traditional burial, green burial avoids embalming and non-biodegradable materials, such as metal caskets and concrete vaults. The Green Burial Council now certifies these hybrid facilities, which are essentially conventional cemeteries with a designated area for eco-friendly funerals. Additionally, many natural burial grounds operate on conserved land, Webster says, making this method a potential means of long-term preservation rather than resource depletion.