Dying To Go Green: Why Natural Burial Is Becoming More Popular

As the story goes, the first official natural burial ground in the UK was opened in 1993 in Carlisle by Ken West, head of bereavement services for the city. Tithe Green followed shortly after with our flagship site in Oxton, in 1999.

But of course, “natural burial” begins much earlier – we could argue that it is impossible to separate the beginning of natural burial from the beginning of the human race.

Whether through necessity, religious practices, or a desire to return to the earth, ancient cultures and Indigenous people across the world have been practicing “natural” burial for thousands of years.

Formed in 2026, Dying To Go Green is a family-run enterprise passionate about raising awareness for natural burial and the ways in which it works in the modern world. They provide an up-to-date directory of natural burial grounds and eco-friendly funeral suppliers, as well as publishing regular guides and blogs in a bid to aid people in planning their green goodbye.

We caught up with Sophie to learn more about why it’s important to keep families informed about their natural burial options, and how they do it.

In conversation with Dying To Go Green

What is the story behind The Natural Burial Alliance and your new directory, Dying To Go Green?

My interest in natural burial was sparked in 2018 when I trained to be a celebrant and was introduced to the concept of natural burial for the first time. Coincidentally, a couple of weeks after this a member of my family told me that they had stumbled across a natural burial ground near them and loved it so much that they reserved a plot! So that spurred me on to find out more and visit some burial grounds for myself.

Then after 6 years of talking about it to pretty much everyone I met (sorry about that), I launched the Natural Burial Alliance in 2024 in a bid to unite green funeral professionals and grow public awareness. Dying to Go Green is the recently launched directory arm of the business – a website where anyone planning a funeral or thinking about their end-of-life wishes can find burial grounds and green funeral suppliers near them. We’re still in the early days, but the interest and feedback we’ve received is incredible.

Green funerals are becoming more popular - why do you think it’s important for families to know about this option?

We all know the importance of environmentally friendly living because our planet is in trouble, so everything we do – however small it may seem – makes a difference. Many of us recycle, avoid plastic, drive electric cars, etc, but when it comes to death, the status quo still seems to be cremation in a varnished coffin with plastic handles. More of us are now starting to questions this.

Natural burial may not be the right choice for everyone, and when it comes to end of life, choice is everything. But we can only make an informed choice if we know the facts and if all the options are presented to us. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, resulting in many people saying “I never knew” or (sadly) “if only I’d known” when they hear about natural burial for the first time.

We all deserve choice, and we all deserve a funeral and final resting place that honours the life we have lived – so if green living matters to us, green dying should too.

What makes a green funeral at a natural burial ground a good option for families?

When it comes down to it, funerals are for the mourners – the people who gather to grieve, support one another and celebrate the life of someone they love. Of course, it’s important to acknowledge the final wishes of the person who has died, but the needs of family and friends are important too. All mourners deserve time and space to say goodbye.

That’s one of the key reasons funerals at natural burial grounds are so special. Families do not feel rushed, they won’t see the ‘conveyor belt’ of funerals that has become a familiar sight at crematoria, and they can immerse themselves in nature as they say their final goodbyes.

Families also have total freedom of choice at a natural burial ground when it comes to how they celebrate a person’s life. They can share stories and eulogies, read poems, play music, sprinkle wildflowers, and lots of other creative options. Religion and spirituality are welcomed; the gathering can be large or small, and the funeral can be led by anyone they choose. The only rule they will have to follow is that everything going into the ground or being placed at the graveside must be biodegradable. But most do not see this as restrictive; rather it fits in perfectly with the atmosphere and ethos of a green funeral.

Plus, families and friends can go to the natural burial ground whenever they wish to visit the grave, take a walk or just sit and admire the scenery. They are wonderful places to be and a far cry from traditional graveyards and cemeteries because burial is not their sole purpose. They are living landscapes that continue to thrive as meadows and woodlands – places you could spend time for any reason, not just to visit a grave.

What role do you think nature plays in helping with grief?

Grief can be crippling. There is no getting away from that. It is incredibly hard to lose someone we love and it’s something that will stay with us in one form or another for the rest of our lives. So anything we can do to support ourselves and each other through that process is crucial. They say time is a great healer – but I think nature is a greater one.

We all know how important nature is for our health and wellbeing in every aspect of life. Just being outside in a peaceful, beautiful space allows us to step away from the stresses of life and breathe. It can also remind us of our place in the grand scheme of things, so there is something incredibly cathartic about being immersed in nature as we acknowledge the end of a life. Especially as we know that the person we love is literally becoming part of that natural landscape.

What are your thoughts on planning ahead and why is it important people think about their wishes and communicate this to family ahead of time?

This is so important. In this country we tend to be quite good at planning ahead financially and practically (wills, inheritance, etc), but not so good at communicating what should happen to us when we die. The result of this is families feeing lost when they start planning the funeral, wishing they knew more about what their person would have wanted. So communicating and documenting our wishes is vital.

Though we use the word ‘planning’, this process can actually be extremely simple. It could be a one-page document passed to your family and stored somewhere safe, which summarises your key wishes for your funeral. It could be a short addition to your will that specifies what you would like to happen. It could be a conversation over a cup of tea (though it’s always best to write things down as well as talking about it, because things can easily be forgotten or misremembered).

This simple plan could say that you would like a natural burial (specifying the burial ground and even prebooking a plot if you wish), that you would like a celebrant or minister, that you would like a certain song or poem, that you would like only seasonal flowers, that you would like donations made to a certain charity, etc. If you feel comfortable doing so, talk it through first with someone close to you and hear their thoughts about how they might like to celebrate you when you’re gone.

It may feel like an uncomfortable conversation, especially if the person you’re talking to doesn’t even want to think about a time when you won’t be with them. But persevere. I always say that conversations about death can be difficult to start, but also difficult to end! Because once we start talking about our final wishes, it can open the gates to so many other things – memories, passions, experiences, poetry, music, spirituality, and the people who have gone before us.

So if you know you know what you would like for your funeral and final resting place (or would be open to exploring the options), start that conversation today. One day, your loved ones will thank you for it.

Planning ahead with Tithe Green

For more information on planning ahead with Tithe Green, visit our dedicated page here or download our brochure here.

Thank you to Sophie and the team at Dying To Go Green & The Natural Burial Alliance for their work making natural burial more accessible to families.