Green and Woodland Funerals

Alternative to traditional funerals

There is no standard industry definition of a “green” or “eco” funeral. All funerals will have an environmental impact to some extent, based on all the choices which have been made for the service.

Depending upon your particular preference or environmental concern, there may nevertheless be different choices you can make to personalise your funeral in order to take account of environmental factors.

Woodland Funerals may offer you a setting which meets your needs. We would encourage you to look at the individual woodland burial ground you may be interested in to find out more about the way each burial ground is managed and maintained from an environmental or “green” perspective.

As an alternative to a traditional burial or cremation, Joseph O'Connell Funeral Service can help you arrange for your loved one’s final resting place to be in a woodland burial ground. These are attractive and peaceful places for you to visit and reflect on your loved one’s life moving forward. Woodland funerals are becoming increasingly popular, as people begin to consider the potential environmental benefits of woodlands funerals over other alternatives.

Woodland burials can still be faith based and many sites have dedicated areas for people of different religions. A wide variety of coffins and ashes caskets are still usually available to select.

Eco friendly funeral FAQs

What happens at a Woodland Funeral?

These burials are often not marked with a headstone, rather a tree or flowers that often become indistinguishable in the woodland. Some natural burial grounds offer the opportunity to add a memorial tree to mark your loved one’s resting place.

At the graveside there is usually a short committal ceremony, if desired, and flowers can still be placed as long as there is no cellophane or ribbon. Some venues have onsite dedicated service rooms and chapels that can be used before or after the funeral for a service that is created to reflect your wishes and those of the deceased.

If you would like to explore the possibility of arranging a woodland burial, your Funeral Arranger here at Joseph O'Connell Funeral Service can help you find a natural burial ground near you.

Coffin Range

We offer a wide range of coffins, from picture coffins, wooden, wicker, wool and cardboard coffins to caskets.

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Our pricing

Funeral prices vary depending on the type of ceremony you would like for your loved one. There are many options to choose from to make it unique and special.

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Planning ahead?

It is now really easy to plan ahead, making a huge difference by easing the burden on your family when the time comes, so they can focus on the arrangements.

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Need advice?

Joseph O'Connell Funeral Service can assist you in every step of the funeral so please don’t hesitate to ask us about any aspects or queries you may have.

A friend of mine has recently had a very tragic bereavement which she struggled to cope with and if it had not been for the understanding empathy care and concern of Wendy and the team at O’Connell’s then I doubt she would have been able…

Larry Somers

Excellent service at Joseph oconnel funeral services..couldn't have asked for any more support and help they provided...thank you so much Excellent service from Mrs Clarke…

Linda Clarke

We chose Joseph O’Connell’s funeral service for our lovely daughter who died suddenly in tragic circumstances. Even though Joe has semi retired he arranged to see us and also spoke with me at length and gave advice and reassurance over some distressing news. The lovely…

Lesley Beecroft

My father sadly passed away on New Year’s Eve 2024. Unsure of which funeral service to trust with making the all important arrangements, I started researching online reviews. The numerous 5 star reviews duly led me to Joseph O’Connell Funeral Services. After my dealings with…

Mark Adams

It is never easy burying a loved one, so finding the right funeral director is extremely important. We lost our grandmother in January and we were recommended Joseph O'Connell Funeral Services by a family friend. The staff at Joseph O'Connell were very professional from start…

Matt K

The Team at Joesph O'Connell's could not have been more helpful and understanding at the most difficult of times, thank you all for everything.

William Rathbone

I’ve recently lost my mum and Joe and his team have been incredible. I could not have done everything without them. They made a hard day, a beautiful one. It was everything my mum asked for and more. There service is impeccable and it makes…

Leah Mountford