What is Green Burial?

Green burial is a way of caring for our loved ones with minimal environmental impact that aids in the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, protection of worker health, and the restoration and/or preservation of habitat.

Our Green Burial Council Certification

We are certified by the Green Burial Council, but what does that mean?

Our certification was awarded based on the fact that Mount Sinai demonstrates compliance with the established Green Burial Council standards that are designed to create sustainable practices in the funeral industry and to preserve and steward land through burial.

When we proudly display this logo on our site, it means that we demonstrate:

• Respect for our families’ wishes
• Commitment to worker safety
• Support of green burial initiatives
• Trust in maintaining verifiable standards
• Dedication to protecting the environment
• Participation in shaping the future of funeral service
• Commitment to an ethic rooted in transparency, accountability, and ecological responsibility

Why Does Green Burial Certification Matter?

The Green Burial Council recognizes the effort of each provider making significant changes that support the American public’s emerging ethic of environmental sensitivity. This includes foregoing the use of toxic chemicals, expensive, resource- and energy-intensive caskets, and the use of concrete, fiberglass, or plastic vaults.

The GBC provides a realistic, verifiable standards-based rating system so that you have a reliable measure when making environmentally sensitive and responsible funeral choices.

Why is Certification from the Green Burial Council Important?

This is becoming increasingly important given the pervasiveness of greenwashing. Some funeral homes’ “green package” offerings include items such as embalming fluid that contains toxic chemicals, caskets from manufacturers whose environmental claims are not backed up by material safety data sheets or life cycle analysis, and cemeteries claiming to offer green burial that won’t accept shrouds and require the use of burial vaults.

The GBC is both a 501(c)(3) (Education) and a 501(c)(6) (Certification) tax-exempt, nonprofit organization.