The green burial movement: Reworking the relationship between death and society

This study explores the recently emerging green burial movement in the United States and the potential impact that it may have on American attitudes towards death and dying. This movement began as an alternative to costly and environmentally detrimental traditional burial practices. Expansion of this movement may contribute to a return to a more agrarian model of death could help to restructure the relationship between death and society. To gain a better understanding of American attitudes towards green burial data from the 2007 AAPR Funeral and Burial Planners Survey were analyzed. Bivariate analysis was performed to identify the most significant predictors of support for green burial. Findings indicate that respondents with higher educational levels, higher SES standing, and younger respondents were more supportive of green burial. Implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered.