The choice of funerals has extended over recent years with the introduction of environmentally friendly coffins and the introduction of Woodland Burial Grounds.

Environmentally friendly coffins produced from cardboard, wicker and papier mache are now available in a wide range of styles and colour. They can be used for cremations, burials in conventional cemeteries or burial in the new woodland burial areas.

Woodland burial grounds differ from conventional cemeteries in that headstones are not allowed but trees are planted throughout the burial ground to develop a conservation area. There are now around ninety-five woodland burial areas around the country, some are woodland sections within existing cemeteries while others are dedicated woodland areas. Some woodland burial areas allow conventional wood veneer and solid wood coffins (provided they are produced from sustainable forests), while others will only allow the use of environmentally friendly coffins.

At the present time environmentally friendly coffins are slightly more expensive than conventional wooden or chipboard coffins but as demand for these coffins continues to grow the cost should reduce. The cost of burials within woodland grounds is often significantly lower than conventional cemeteries.

At the present time there are no woodland burial sections or grounds within the Birmingham and Solihull areas. However plans are in hand for woodland sections within Handsworth, Quinton and Sutton Cemeteries but no date has been announced for their introduction. The nearest woodland burial grounds are currently Greenhaven in Lilbourne near Rugby and Westall Park at Holberrow Green near Redditch. Stapenhill Cemetery at Burton on Trent also has a woodland section at the back of the cemetery grounds.