Sustainable funerals in the Netherlands
A funeral is never neutral for the environment, but the gap between the most and least sustainable Dutch options is large enough to be a real choice. If keeping the world habitable for the next generation is part of how you live, it can also be part of how you say goodbye. Here is what "green" actually means in the Dutch funeral context, where the data is solid, and where it is still marketing.
What counts as sustainable, and what does not
A 2024 Life Cycle Analysis cited by DELA found that natural burial (natuurbegraven) and electric cremation are the most sustainable methods of body disposal in the Netherlands. Traditional gas-fired cremation and burial with a stone monument scored higher impact. Resomation (alkaline hydrolysis) and human composting are not yet legal in the Netherlands as of 2026.
The biggest environmental factors in a funeral are usually not what people focus on. They are:
- The body covering (coffin or shroud) and any monument that follows it.
- Travel: how the body is moved, and how guests reach the location.
- Whether the same location is used for opbaring (the care of the body before the funeral), the ceremony, and the condolence reception.
Flowers, printed cards and catering matter too, but they are smaller levers than the three above.
The body covering: coffins, shrouds and laying-out planks
For cremation, the most sustainable coffins are made of fast-growing domestic woods such as poplar, willow, or wood from pollard willows, ideally with FSC certification, and assembled without chemical glue or varnish. Upholstery in hemp, bamboo or nettle fibre is preferable to bleached cotton.
For burial, an opbaarplank (laying-out plank) with a shroud (a wrap of untreated cotton, linen, hemp or wool) is the lowest-impact option. Coffins of cardboard are considered acceptable for burial, but not for cremation. Coffins made of chipboard are generally not sustainable, because the glue often contains formaldehyde. Willow, banana leaf and pandanus coffins are renewable and biodegradable, suitable for burial.
A practical detail many people miss: jewellery and glasses can be worn during opbaring but must be removed before the coffin is closed. Glasses can be donated for reuse, often via Dutch optician-led programmes.
Cremation: gas vs electric
Cremation in the Netherlands has historically used gas-fired ovens. Electric cremation ovens have a substantially lower environmental impact because they avoid fossil fuels. As of 2024, DELA reported that 8 of its 47 cremation ovens were electric, and electric funeral cars were operating in 8 of 25 regions. Crematoria built circularly with reusable materials and gas-free operation, such as DELA's facility in Groningen, are the current Dutch benchmark for low-impact cremation.
If electric cremation matters to you, it is worth noting on your funeral wishes by name, since not every crematorium offers it.
Natural burial: low impact, but not the only green choice
Natural burial grounds (natuurbegraafplaatsen) are on the rise in the Netherlands. Their characteristics, according to DELA's overview, are: nature is created or preserved on site, only natural monuments are permitted (an erratic boulder, a wood disc, or a planted tree), the body covering must be biodegradable, and burial is shallower than at a regular cemetery, which supports decomposition.
The Life Cycle Analysis ranked natural burial as the lowest environmental impact, with one caveat: it scores high on land use. Useful context, not a disqualifier, but worth mentioning.
The takeaway from researchers is honest: a natural burial ground is a beautiful option, but it is not a prerequisite for a sustainable funeral. The choices that matter most are the body covering, the monument (if any), and the distance everything has to travel.
The smaller levers: flowers, cards, catering, ceremony
These are not the biggest impact, but they are visible and they add up.
- Mourning cards. A digital rouwkaart saves paper, ink and delivery. If a paper card is preferred, choose recycled or FSC-certified paper with vegetable-based ink. Avoid bleached or heavy paper.
- Flowers. The most sustainable choice is flowers from your own garden or Dutch seasonal flowers. Carnations, alstroemeria, freesias and gerberas need relatively little pesticide and energy. A loose bouquet avoids the plastic and floral foam used in mourning arrangements.
- Catering. Holding the catering at the same location as the rest of the funeral cuts kilometres. Tap water beats bottled (roughly a thousand times less polluting and cheaper, per DELA). Snacks prepared on the spot reduce food waste.
- Condolence. An online condolence register removes paper entirely. A physical one of recycled paper is the next best.
- Wish balloons. Often released at funerals, often regretted. Even biodegradable latex balloons take years to decompose and are dangerous for wildlife. Sustainable alternatives are bubbles with eco-friendly soap, planting a tree together, or having guests write a memory card.
After the funeral: monument and urn
The most sustainable grave monument is no monument, or a small wooden marker. Other options: a planted tree, an erratic boulder, untreated wood, a recycled headstone (some Dutch suppliers give old headstones a second life). Avoid natural stone without a quality mark, and monuments of aluminium, glass, bronze or steel.
For ashes, decorative urns of plant extracts, salt or unlacquered FSC-wood are preferable to bronze, stone or aluminium. Sea urns of organic granulate exist for water destinations. Most biodegradable urns dissolve in two to three years once placed in soil.
In the app
In the Personal Portal you set sustainability as a parameter in your wishes. Your funeral director, and the family member who organises the day, will see which choices you care about, from coffin material to whether you want an electric cremation.
Closed beta, access by invitation.
Sources
- DELA — "Hoe regel ik een uitvaart met aandacht voor duurzaamheid?" (sustainable funeral guide), with reference to a 2024 Life Cycle Analysis by Hedgehog. https://www.dela.nl/uitvaart/voor-de-uitvaart/duurzame-uitvaart
- BGNU — Branchevereniging Gecertificeerde Nederlandse Uitvaartondernemingen, sector standards and Keurmerk Uitvaartzorg. https://www.bgnu.nl/
- Rijksoverheid / Wetten.overheid.nl — Wet op de lijkbezorging, governing which body-disposal methods are permitted in the Netherlands. https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0005009/