Compare Sustainable Options

Explore popular eco-friendly memorials

Find the tree that speaks to you by exploring trees online or in-forest.

What to consider when planning your sustainable end of life option

Sustainable Options

There are many factors that go into sustainability such as, land or water use, carbon emissions, and production and material usage.

Key Considerations

Pay attention to details such as legality, location availability, support or guidance offered and what is currently available vs what is still conceptual or in development.

Cost

Is this within your budget? Is there a tiered pricing system? Are there any add ons or hidden costs?

Sustainable Options

Memorial Tree

An established, growing tree that serves as a protected place to return ashes to the earth.

Plant a Tree In Memory

The concept of planting saplings in honor of a loved one helps restore forest habitats.

Biodegradable Urn Kit

A biodegradable urn kit for ashes that supports a tree sapling.

Tree Burial Pod

An egg-shaped biodegradable pod, where departed loved ones are placed for burial.

END OF LIFE CAN BE FULL OF LIFE

Create Your Own Traditions

Start a new family tradition of honoring and connecting with loved ones in the forest.

Memorial Tree

Instead of a tombstone, a Memorial Tree is a protected place to return ashes to the earth naturally. A custom inscribed Memorial Marker and an intimate in forest ceremony honor life.

How it works

Explore Better Place Forests’ nine protected forests online or in-person and choose your tree with the help of a Guide.

Create a memorial that feels authentic to you. Plan readings, music, and more with the help of our Guides.

At the Forest Memorial ashes are mixed with local soil and returned to the base of your tree, becoming a part of the life of the forest.

You and your loved ones have ongoing access to the forest. Visit as often as you’d like.

The forestland that becomes a Memorial Forest is conserved from being developed. Each Memorial Forest has multiple layers of legal protection to ensure they stay natural in perpetuity. They also have a forest management plan to ensure the land is cared for. For each Memorial Tree chosen, additional saplings are planted in honor of each customer in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation.

It’s legal to spread ashes in a Memorial Forest and our Guides will assist with all paperwork. Each Memorial Tree has an arbor tag and is mapped in a database to ensure your tree is easy to find. Memorial Forests are staffed by local Forest Guides that provide forest guidance and forest ceremony support.

Starting at $5,900. Payment Plans available as low as $122/month.

Find the sustainable option that's right for you

Talk to a Guide to learn more about pricing and available options in your area.

Plant a Tree in Memory (The Arbor Day Foundation)

Planting a tree in memory is a beautiful way of honoring someone that was popularized by the Arbor Day Foundation. The foundation plants saplings worldwide to help restore forest habitats and many choose to plant a tree in honor of a loved one.

How it works

You can choose how many saplings you want planted, as well as which planting project you’d like your trees to contribute to.

You can dedicate your trees online by choosing who to honor, as well as who is gifting the trees. This will be recorded in their “Online Tree Registry.”

You can get a paper or digital certificate confirming your trees.

Memorial trees planted primarily in National Forests ecosystems. Typically planting projects help forests affected by wildfires or natural disasters.

The Arbor Day Foundation partners worldwide with National Parks and Forests, ensuring the saplings are planted where they will have a large positive impact. However, they can only tell you the general location of the planting (ex: Chippewa National Forest), making visiting your trees extremely difficult. You will also still need to choose a final resting place for ashes.

Approximately $2 per tree. 10 is the minimum number of trees you can have planted in someone’s honor. The range listed on their website is $20 – $17,000.

Biodegradable Urn Kit

Plant ashes inside a biodegradable urn with a tree sapling with companies like Living Urn. You can purchase a kit which includes a “bio-urn”, soil additive, aged wood chips, planting instructions, and a 1-2 foot tree sapling.

How it works

Where you want to plant the bio-urn and tree will help you decide which species would work best.

Typically people order their urn after someone has been cremated and when they are ready to plant the tree.

Follow the step by step guide to add ashes to urn. Then, plant the sapling.

Young trees require regular watering, strong sun access, and care to mature.

Biodegradable urns are thoughtfully designed and made entirely of biodegradable materials that will break down in the soil.

Tend to your sapling carefully as they can be killed by spreading too much ash. Typically, mature trees can grow and thrive with more ashes than a sapling. Some companies, like the Living Urn, have a proprietary soil additive called “Root Protect” to help with this. You will also need to carefully consider where you can legally plant your sapling to ensure it will remain protected and you will have access to it.

$150-$200

Tree Burial Pod

A tree burial pod is an Italian design firm’s concept, which is currently still in development. “Capsula Mundi” is an egg-shaped pod, made of biodegradable material, where departed loved ones are placed for burial. Ashes will be held in small egg-shaped urns while bodies will be laid down in a fetal position in larger pods. The tree burial pod will then be buried as a seed in the earth. Family and friends will continue to care for the tree as it grows.

– Capsula Mundi

How it works

Ashes or a full body would be placed in an egg-shaped urn or coffin.

Trees would be planted with their roots surrounding the “egg”, creating sacred forests.

You can purchase an egg-shaped urn made of biodegradable material. A tree is not included with your purchase.

The egg-shaped urn is made of biodegradable materials. Conceptually, their sacred forests are free from inorganic materials and chemicals.

The full body tree burial pod has not currently been release. The egg-shaped urn is available for purchase. Tend to your sapling carefully as they can be killed by spreading too much ash and Capsula Mundi does not provide corrective soil additives. You will also need to carefully consider where you can legally plant your sapling to ensure it will remain protected and you will have access to it.