Green Cemetery Calculator

Natural burial space and biodegradable options.

Cemetery acreage

Plot spacing (ft)

Container (0=shroud, 1=bio casket, 2=wicker)

Number of burials

Memorial tree (0=no, 1=yes)

Tab to move between fields

Cost per green burial ($)

$5,000.00

≈ 5 smartphones

Savings vs traditional ($)

$7,000.00

≈ 7 smartphones

Total green burial cost ($)$5,000.00

Traditional burial cost ($)$12,000.00

Savings %58.3%

Max plots on acreage828

Container cost ($)$1,200.00

Formaldehyde avoided (gal)3

Concrete avoided (lbs)3,000

Memorial trees planted1

How to Use This Calculator

Enter cemetery acreage and plot spacing in feet (green cemeteries typically space graves 6–12 ft apart).
Select container type: shroud, biodegradable casket, or wicker/willow.
Enter number of burials and whether to include a memorial tree.
Review Cost per Green Burial, Total Green Cost, Savings vs. Traditional ($), and Savings (%).

What each input means

Cemetery acreage: Total land area in acres for the green cemetery.
Plot spacing (ft): Distance between graves in feet (green cemeteries typically use 6-12 ft).
Container (0=shroud, 1=bio casket, 2=wicker): 0 = shroud ($400), 1 = biodegradable casket ($1,200), 2 = wicker/willow ($2,500).
Number of burials: How many green burials to estimate.
Memorial tree (0=no, 1=yes): Plant a memorial tree at the gravesite ($350).

Cost per green burial ($): Total cost of one green burial including plot, container, and services.
Total green burial cost ($): Combined cost for all requested burials.
Traditional burial cost ($): Equivalent cost if using traditional burial for comparison.
Savings vs traditional ($): Money saved by choosing green burial over traditional.
Savings %: Percentage saved compared to traditional burial.
Max plots on acreage: Maximum burial plots that fit on the land with current spacing.
Container cost ($): Cost of the selected burial container type.
Formaldehyde avoided (gal): Gallons of formaldehyde-based embalming fluid not used.
Concrete avoided (lbs): Pounds of concrete vault/liner material avoided.
Memorial trees planted: Number of memorial trees planted at gravesites.

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Cemetery acreage = 5, Plot spacing (ft) = 8, Container (0=shroud, 1=bio casket, 2=wicker) = 1, Number of burials = 1 = 5 input(s) provided
Calculate Cost per green burial
Cost per green burial = plotCost + containerCost + openingClosingCost + gpsMarkerCost + treePlantingC...
5000 = $5,000
Calculate Savings vs traditional
Savings vs traditional = totalTraditionalCost - totalGreenCost
7000 = $7,000
Calculate Total green burial cost
Total green burial cost = perBurialCost * numberOfBurials
5000 = $5,000
Calculate Traditional burial cost
Traditional burial cost = traditionalPerBurial * numberOfBurials
12000 = $12,000