The following online resources provide information about your burial options including details about issues specific to Massachusetts:

​

Funeral Consumers Alliance:  A national not-for-profit organization dedicated to protecting a consumers rights to meaningful, affordable and dignified after-death care, including the right not be be a consumer at all. Funeral Consumers Alliance is the only national consumer organization that monitors the funeral industry, keeping a close eye on industry trends and advocating for fair practices on the behalf of consumers.

 

Funeral Consumers Alliance of Eastern MA:  Local affiliate of the national Funeral Consumers Alliance. Visit the website for MA state specific funeral issues, funeral home price surveys, and planning forms.

 

Green Burial MA:  A green burial is a way of returning bodies to the earth after death. Called “green” burial for its ecological soundness, it is also commonly known as “natural” burial. A green or natural burial uses no embalming, no metal casket, and no burial liner or vault; the marker, if used, is typically flat and level with the ground.  Because only biodegradable materials are used, in green burial a human body and its burial container enrich the soil.

 

National Home Funeral Alliance: A national not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping families and communities reclaim home based after death care. The alliance also provides the tools you will need to conduct a home funeral on your own.

 

For Families Not Working with a Funeral Home:  It is legal in Massachusetts for a family to act as the funeral designee and take the role of the funeral director. For more information on completing the necessary paperwork, visit the site for information on electronic death certificates and the responsibilities of a family designee.