Comparison
Green burial vs cremation vs conventional burial.
How the three options differ in the City of Campbell River, drawn from the Cemetery Management Bylaw. This table covers process and rules, not personal or family considerations.
For many people, green burial isn’t simply about a “greener funeral” — it’s about simplicity, natural decomposition and returning to the earth. Why people choose it →
Side by side
At a glance.
| Green burial (Elk Falls green area) | Conventional burial | Cremation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embalming | Not permitted. | Not addressed by the bylaw; ask the provider. | Not applicable. |
| Container | Fully biodegradable shroud, casket or container; rigid base; City-approved; many materials prohibited. | Burial container meeting the Act and bylaw, plus a City-standard grave liner (normally required). | Cremated remains in a City-approved urn; in the green area, a biodegradable urn with no plastic or metal liner. |
| Grave liner / vault | Not permitted. | Required (green burial and infant lots are the exceptions). | Not applicable. |
| Memorial | No individual marker; one-line inscription on a City communal memorial. | Individual markers or monuments, within Schedule B specifications. | Flat markers on a cremation lot, within Schedule B specifications. |
| Soil cover | At least 30 in (76.2 cm), no liner. | At least 30 in (76.2 cm), over the liner. | At least 6 in (15.2 cm) over the urn. |
| Lot capacity | Single-depth: 1 body + up to 3 cremated. Double-depth: 2 + up to 2. Cremation-only green lot: up to 4. | Single-depth: 1 body + up to 3 cremated. Double-depth: 2 + up to 2. | Standard cremation lot: up to 4 sets of cremated remains. |
| Planting / flowers | City-controlled, native species, set plan; only service flowers, up to 2 weeks. | Seasonal floral schedule; flowers in flush containers. | Seasonal floral schedule (as for burial lots). |
| City cost, 2026 (before tax) | $2,685 resident / $3,010 non-resident. | Adult lot: $2,685 resident / $3,010 non-resident (same as the green section in 2026). | Cremation lot: $766 resident / $887 non-resident. |
Bylaw arts. 8.16–8.17, 9.5, 9.8–9.14, 9.23–9.33; Schedule A s.2.2–2.3, s.3.4–3.5; Schedule B s.3.2; Schedule C (2026 fees). Costs are before 5% GST and still to be confirmed against the City’s published documents.
Environmental differences
Green burial is often chosen partly for environmental reasons. In short: it uses fewer manufactured materials (a biodegradable container, and no liner or vault), no embalming chemicals, and land that is managed as a natural, replanted landscape rather than mown lawn. Cremation, by contrast, uses fuel and energy and does not return the body to the soil. The direction of these differences is widely accepted; reliable head-to-head numbers are scarce, and this site does not repeat the dramatic statistics that circulate online.
Not sure yet?
You don’t have to know the answer yet.
Different options can fit different people for different reasons. Take a few minutes to think about what matters most to you before comparing the details.
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