While green burial is only recently becoming readily available throughout the country, the practice of embalming, one of the most harmful aspects of traditional burial, did not begin until the American Civil War, when the families of soldiers killed far from home requested that the bodies be preserved and returned to them intact. Before then, all Americans had a green burial, free of treatment by harmful preservative chemicals. Many populations have never adopted embalming. For example, Orthodox Jews and Muslims have practiced burial without embalming for thousands of years. For more information about what the embalming process involves, see "Embalming: What You Should Know" by the Funeral Consumers Alliance.
Though only a small number of Americans today opt for green burial, the practice has been gaining in popularity. In an AARP online poll, 45% of participants indicated they would choose green burial over traditional burial or cremation, when given the choice. There are currently 28 green or hybrid cemeteries in 19 states, and we can expect that number to increase in years to come. Although it’s possible to bury an unembalmed body in a casket at a traditional cemetery, a truly environmentally sound burial should take place at a site specifically designated for green burial. Some people have even been able to negotiate county and state laws to arrange for green burial on privately owned land. To find an operating green burial site or a green burial site under development, you can visit the Centre for Natural Burial, or the Green Burial Council. - See more at: http://www.sevenponds.com/after-death/choosing-green-burial-or-natural-burial#sthash.RrW3PfCN.dpuf