Is a Casket Required for Cremation to Take Place?

A casket is not required for a cremation to take place. In most states, all that is required is an alternative container which can be constructed of wood or fiberboard/cardboard, and is cremated along with the deceased.

Is Embalming Required for Cremation?

Absolutely not. Public health law states that any human remains held 24 hours beyond death, and not yet cremated or interred at a cemetery, shall be either embalmed, or kept under refrigeration. Most reputable funeral establishments and crematories have on-site refrigeration.

Can a Cremation Be Witnessed by the Family?

Yes, in most situations, the cremation provider will permit family members to be in attendance when the body is placed into the cremation chamber. A few religious groups include this as an integral part of their funeral practice.

Are There Any Religions That Do Not Approve of Cremation?

Most major religions accept cremation, except Islam and Orthodox Judaism. Most Christian denominations allow cremation. The Catholic Church approves cremation but encourages interment in a cemetery. Buddhists favor cremation, and Hindus consider it the orthodox method of disposition.

Can More than One Cremation Be Performed at Once?

No. It is both practically impossible and illegal. Most modern cremation chambers are not large enough to house more than one adult at a time.

What Usually Happens after the Cremation Is Finished?

After cremation, bone fragments and non-consumed metal items are collected and separated from the remains using inspection and magnets. Bone fragments are processed into a uniform size and sealed in a plastic bag, then placed in a container or urn chosen by the family.

What Do Cremated Remains Look Like?

Cremated remains are a powdery and granular mix in shades of gray to white. An average adult’s remains typically weigh between four to eight pounds.

Are All Cremated Remains Returned to the Family?

Yes, except for microscopic particles that cannot be retrieved, all cremated remains are returned to the family.

Are Urns Required to Collect the Cremated Remains?

No law requires an urn, but cremated remains must be kept in a container. A basic urn is included in the cremation package, with options available for upgrades.

What Options Are Available with the Cremated Remains?

In California, cremated remains may be kept at home, scattered at sea (500+ yards from shore), scattered on private property with permission, or interred in a cemetery. They can also be divided into keepsake urns or jewelry for memorialization.

How Can You Be Certain That All Remains Are Kept Separate, and You Receive the Correct Remains?

Reliable cremation providers have strict policies to ensure accuracy and prevent errors. It's your right to ask about the procedures used for identification, cremation, processing, and packaging of remains.

5 Best Funeral Homes in Beverly Hills Offering Eco-Friendly Options

Oct 12

Written By lindsay farrington

If you are planning an eco friendly funeral in Beverly Hills, the strongest options are funeral homes and cemeteries that offer natural burial without embalming, water cremation, full body burial at sea, or a green burial section close to the Westside. Farrington Mortuary & Cremation, Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary, Woodlawn Cemetery, Mausoleum & Mortuary, Hollywood Forever, and Clarity Funerals & Cremation all offer at least one of these choices to Beverly Hills families.

Beverly Hills does not limit you to one style of farewell. A family in Trousdale Estates might want a quiet shrouded burial in a wildflower meadow, while another in the Golden Triangle may prefer water cremation followed by a gathering at home. This guide explains what makes a funeral truly eco-friendly, compares five real providers, and lists the questions worth asking before you commit.

Key Takeaways

California does not require embalming for a standard burial. Refrigeration keeps the body cared for until the service, which is the foundation of most green funerals.
The most common eco options for Beverly Hills families are natural burial, water cremation (alkaline hydrolysis), full body burial at sea and terramation.
Green burial sections closest to the Westside include Eternal Meadow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica, Gan Eden at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, and the natural burial program at Hollywood Forever.
Funeral home fees and cemetery fees are usually separate. Always ask for an itemized General Price List from both.
Farrington Mortuary & Cremation publishes fixed prices for each eco option, including natural burial at $2,640 and water cremation at $3,295.

What Makes a Funeral Eco-Friendly?

An eco-friendly funeral reduces chemicals, energy use and materials that do not return to the earth. In practice, that usually comes down to a few choices.

No embalming: California does not require embalming for a standard burial. When a family declines it, the funeral home keeps the body under refrigeration instead.
Biodegradable containers: Plain wood caskets without metal, woven willow caskets, or natural fiber shrouds replace sealed metal caskets.
Green burial: The body is buried without a concrete vault in a cemetery or section set aside for natural burial, often planted with native species.
Water cremation: Also called alkaline hydrolysis or aquamation, it uses water, heat and an alkaline solution in place of flame. California allows this method, and the family receives ashes much like flame cremation.
Burial at sea: A full body burial at sea uses a biodegradable shroud or sail cloth. Federal EPA rules require it to take place at least three nautical miles from shore in water at least 600 feet deep.
Terramation: Also known as human composting or natural organic reduction, this process gently returns the body to soil over a period of months.

5 Best Funeral Homes and Providers Offering an Eco Friendly Funeral in Beverly Hills

We chose the providers below because each offers at least one verified green option and serves, or sits within reach of, Beverly Hills families. Cemetery fees, plot costs and availability change, so contact each provider directly for current pricing.

1. Farrington Mortuary & Cremation

Farrington Mortuary & Cremation is a family-owned funeral home founded by Lindsay Farrington, known for a contemporary, gallery-like approach to memorials. The team serves families throughout Beverly Hills along with Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura and Riverside counties. The administrative office is at 1505 9th Street in Santa Monica (by appointment only), staff are available 24 hours a day, arrangements can be made online, and the funeral home holds FD License 2365.

What sets Farrington apart for eco-minded families is the range of green options with published prices. Natural burial is $2,640 and covers refrigerated storage, washing, shrouding or casketing, ordering a biodegradable casket, a service van to a green cemetery within 60 miles ($4 per additional mile), graveside staff and permits. Cemetery fees are separate. Direct water cremation is $3,295, including pickup, refrigerated storage, individual private alkaline hydrolysis, a basic urn, return of ashes and permits. Full body burial at sea starts at $4,500 with a mandatory sail cloth or biodegradable shroud, and Farrington also coordinates terramation through a partner facility.

Families we work with often ask how to make a cremation feel more personal. Farrington offers a $100 option to decorate the cremation container together, scattering of ashes at sea from $1,495 unwitnessed or $2,395 witnessed (up to 12 guests), and solidified remains through partner Parting Stone for $3,195, which typically returns 40 to 80 or more smooth stones in place of loose ashes.

Best for: Beverly Hills families who want several green options, transparent fixed pricing and one team to coordinate everything from first call to final resting place.

2. Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary

Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary is a Jewish cemetery and mortuary at 6001 West Centinela Avenue in Culver City, a short drive south of Beverly Hills. Its dedicated green burial section, Gan Eden, is landscaped with native, drought-tolerant plants. According to Hillside, green burial there forgoes embalming fluids, metal caskets and concrete liners, and uses biodegradable caskets or natural fiber shrouds.

Hillside offers handwoven willow caskets with no metal or varnish, as well as raw silk and linen shrouds. The organization states that it holds Green Burial Council ratings for both its mortuary and its cemetery. Family Service Counselors can answer questions about Gan Eden and current pricing.

Best for: Families who want a green burial that honors Jewish tradition, with mortuary and cemetery services in one place.

3. Woodlawn Cemetery, Mausoleum & Mortuary

Woodlawn Cemetery, Mausoleum & Mortuary at 1847 14th Street in Santa Monica is owned and operated by the City of Santa Monica, making it one of the few municipally owned cemeteries and mortuaries in the country. Its green burial section, Eternal Meadow, is planted with California native wildflowers and grasses.

In Eternal Meadow, no toxic chemicals, metals or cement vaults are used. Bodies are buried in a simple wooden casket or an organic shroud, and cremated remains go into biodegradable urns. Woodlawn also provides burials, cremations, viewings and memorial services, and the City publishes its price lists online. For Beverly Hills families, this is one of the closest green burial grounds on the Westside, and Eternal Meadow is among the green cemeteries Farrington lists for its natural burial service.

Best for: Families who want a natural burial in a meadow setting close to the coast and to Beverly Hills.

4. Hollywood Forever

Hollywood Forever at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard is a full-service cemetery, funeral home and crematory, east of Beverly Hills along the same Santa Monica Boulevard corridor. The Green Burial Council recognizes it as a certified hybrid cemetery, meaning green burial is offered alongside conventional burial.

Green burial at Hollywood Forever allows burial without embalming in a natural wood casket without metal or in a cloth shroud, and no concrete vaults are used. Through its Ancestral Forest Project, the cemetery is turning its lawns into a memorial forest, and families can place cremated remains at the roots of a newly planted native tree, often a California live oak, or beside an existing tree.

Best for: Families drawn to a tree burial or a living memorial at a historic Los Angeles cemetery.

5. Clarity Funerals & Cremation

Clarity Funerals & Cremation is a licensed funeral home with a Los Angeles office at 5300 Santa Monica Boulevard, serving Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. Its offerings include simple burial with a green (natural) burial option, terramation, simple and witnessed cremation, and online arrangements.

Clarity describes a sustainability pledge, low-impact viewings and tree planting as a memorial. It also provides resources for families interested in home funerals.

Best for: Families who want a simple, low-impact approach and are interested in terramation or a home-centered farewell.

How to Choose an Eco-Friendly Funeral Provider

Start With the Final Resting Place

Decide first whether you want burial, water cremation, burial at sea or terramation. If burial is the choice, confirm which green cemetery you prefer, since the cemetery sets rules on caskets, shrouds and markers and charges its own plot and opening fees.

Ask for Itemized Pricing

California funeral homes must provide a General Price List. Compare the funeral home package with the separate cemetery costs so there are no surprises. You can review Farrington's packages and pricing online before you call anyone.

Check How the Body Is Cared For

A green funeral depends on refrigeration rather than embalming. Ask where the body will be kept, how long refrigerated storage is included, and how the family can visit or take part in washing and shrouding if they wish.

Consider Your Traditions

Many faith traditions already favor simple, natural burial. Ask whether the provider has experience with your customs and whether the cemetery section allows the rituals that matter to you.

Questions to Ask Before You Decide

Do you offer refrigeration instead of embalming, and is it included in the price?
Which green cemeteries or sections do you work with, and are cemetery fees separate?
Is water cremation performed individually and privately?
What biodegradable caskets or shrouds can we choose from?
Can our family take part in the preparation or the graveside service?
Are there mileage or transport fees for a cemetery outside Beverly Hills?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is embalming required for a funeral in Beverly Hills?

No. California does not require embalming for a standard burial, and funeral homes use refrigeration to care for the body when a family chooses not to embalm, which is the usual approach for a natural burial.

Where can I have a green burial near Beverly Hills?

Nearby options include Eternal Meadow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica, Gan Eden at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, and the natural burial program at Hollywood Forever in Los Angeles.

How much does an eco friendly funeral in Beverly Hills cost?

It depends on the method and the cemetery. At Farrington, natural burial is $2,640 plus cemetery fees, water cremation is $3,295, and full body burial at sea starts at $4,500, while cemetery plot prices vary by location.

Is water cremation better for the environment than flame cremation?

Water cremation uses water, heat and an alkaline solution instead of flame, and it is generally described as using less energy and producing no direct smoke emissions, which is why many families see it as a greener alternative.

Can we still hold a memorial service with a green funeral?

Yes. Families often pair a natural burial or water cremation with a graveside gathering, a home memorial, a beach service or a scattering at sea.

Plan a Gentle, Earth-Friendly Farewell in Beverly Hills

Choosing a green farewell is a meaningful way to honor someone who cared for the planet. Whether you are facing a loss now or want to plan ahead with pre-arrangements, the Farrington team is here day and night to walk you through each eco option with clear pricing and compassion. Call (800) 674-3659 to speak with someone today.

lindsay farrington

5 Best Funeral Homes in Beverly Hills Offering Eco-Friendly Options

Key Takeaways

What Makes a Funeral Eco-Friendly?