A typical American funeral usually involves an expensive coffin or urn, concrete vaults, lots of flowers, an embalming for the deceased and a number of other add-ons that cost around $10K. There are green options to consider that are easier on both the environment and your wallet. Many are now planning these "green funerals" in a "return to nature". 

Green burials do away with both the embalming chemicals and non-biodegradable materials conventional burials put into the earth and lack the carbon footprint of cremation. (Although cremations often have the reputation as being an eco-friendly option, they tend to have an outsize carbon footprint.) 

The extent of how “green” a burial can be is up to the individual; the service can be as simple as wrapping the deceased in a cotton shroud before lowering them into the ground. The services can also become more complicated. Capsula Mundi is one unique possibility. Human remains, are wrapped in natural fiber cloth and stored within an eco-friendly, egg-shaped pod. This pod is then interred within the ground and a tree is planted directly above it. The body releases nutrients and microbes as it decays, and those feed the tree above it. In essence, a new organism is born from the decomposition of the corpse. Your loved ones can come visit (and hug) the majestic tree you become in your next life!