How Deep Should You Be Buried? (Not a Trick Question)
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How deep should I be buried when I die?”—congratulations, you’re officially fun at parties and thinking ahead. The answer might surprise you: three to four feet. That’s it. Not six feet under. Not entombed in a concrete bunker like a vampire no one trusts. Just a cozy, breathable, dirt-rich three to four feet.
Why? Well, for most of human history, burial meant placing a shrouded, unembalmed body into a simple hole in the ground. No metal casket. No concrete vault. No makeup that makes you look like a wax figure at Madame Tussauds. Just you and the earth, reconnecting the old-fashioned way.
Then the 20th century came along and said, “Wait, what if we wrapped the dead in steel, pickled them in chemicals, and locked them in a concrete box?” (To which the planet responded: “Please don’t.”)
Each year in Canada, traditional burials consume approximately 4,500 litres of formaldehyde-based embalming fluid, 97 tonnes of steel, 2,000 tonnes of concrete, and 56,000 board feet of tropical hardwood per acre of cemetery space. These figures highlight the substantial environmental impact of conventional burial practices. That’s not a burial—it’s a construction project.
Green burial flips that script. And here’s where the magic of 3-4 feet comes in:
It’s All About the Oxygen
At this shallower depth, you’re in the aerobic zone—where oxygen-loving microbes do their best work turning you into excellent compost. It’s decomposition with flair.
The Soil is Happier Here
This is where the richest, most biologically active soil lives. It’s like the VIP section for decomposition: warm, lively, and full of beneficial insects ready to help you transition back into the web of life.
No Need to Worry About Wildlife
Three to four feet is also deep enough to deter diggers. No raccoons invited. Just nature’s clean-up crew who’ve been doing this job way longer than any funeral director.
And It’s Existentially Grounding (Pun Intended)
There’s something humbling and even joyful about knowing you’ll one day feed a tree. Embracing decay can actually be an ecstatic reminder that you’re alive now. Breath in your lungs. Blood in your veins. Feet on the earth—until you’re in it.
So next time someone asks, “Six feet under, right?”, feel free to smile and say, “Actually, I’m going green. Just three to four feet will do.”
And then watch their face as they slowly realize you’re being totally natural.