Burial Vs. Cremation Services And The Environment

Posted on September 2, 2019 by Cameron Naugle under Cremation
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The two most common choices for body disposition are burial and cremation services in Jacksonville, FL. Both offer many pros and cons, so it can be hard for people to choose which one they want. One way to make the choice easier is to think about each one’s effect on the environment. A lot of people never even think about burials’ or cremation’s environmental impact, but that should have a part in your decision.

cremation services in Jacksonville, FL

Sadly, traditional, full service burials have considerable negative impact on the environment. One of the biggest ones is loss of habitat. A recent statistic from the Centre for National Burial states that 10 acres of cemetery holds almost 20,000 tons of vault concrete, 1000 tons of casket steal, and enough wood to build over 40 full-sized homes. All that material leaves little room for animal and plant life. Not to mention loss of land that could otherwise be used to grow food or build homes.

Cremation can be a much greener choice, depending on how you go about it as there are still some downsides to cremation in terms of the environment. Standard crematoriums burn a lot of natural gas, and therefore release lots of greenhouse gases and chemical vapors that can harm the atmosphere. Not to mention that to fully dehydrate a human body to bone and ash, a crematorium has to be fully heated to at least 1400 degrees Fahrenheit, and maintain the heat for a minimum of 45 minutes. This process releases a lot of carbon dioxide, and uses up a lot of fossil fuel. But, new technology and more fuel-efficient crematorium centers have greatly reduced these negative impacts.

However, there are ways you can make cremation even greener, like:

  1. Get a biodegradable urn. Many people chose to bury their loved one’s ashes after cremation. While urns and ashes take up less space than a full-size grave, urns slow down the decay process and may negatively impact the surrounding earth. Choose a biodegradable urn to better protect the local ground.
  2. Remove and recycle all medical materials. Remove and recycle medical devices and parts, like pacemakers, before cremation. Burning said parts can release harmful gases and produce non-biodegradable ash.
  3. Get a green cremation container. Cremation providers generally require bodies to be in a rigid, consumable, and leak-proof casket for the cremation process. Burning these caskets can give off noxious gases and fumes, if you chose a bad one. When picking out your cremation casket, look for one made of non-toxic and renewable material.

Cremation services are much better for the environment than burials, even without the above small changes. However, if you are committed to helping the environment in body disposition, a few small tweaks to a common Jacksonville, FL cremation service can go a long way. If you wan to learn more, you can reach out to Naugle Funeral Home & Cremation Services by visiting 808 Margaret St Jacksonville, FL 32204, or calling (904) 683-9288. We’d love to help you in any way we can.

Cameron Naugle

Paul (Cameron) Naugle, Jr., a fourth generation funeral director was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. He graduated from Wolfson High School and then went on to graduate from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Services in Atlanta, Georgia where he was part of the National Mortuary Honor Society (Phi Sigma Eta). He then graduated from The University of North Florida with a degree in Business Administration. He is a licensed funeral director as well as a licensed embalmer. He took over the position of President and CEO of Naugle Funeral Home and Cremation Services in 2012, following in his father’s, grandfather’s and great-grandfather’s footsteps. Cameron is married to Katherine Schnauss Naugle, an estate planning, probate and elder law attorney in Jacksonville and has two amazing children. He enjoys spending time with his family. He also enjoys his hobby of restoring and showing his antique cars. Cameron is a member of the Southside Businessmen’s Club of Jacksonville, as well as a member of the Florida Cemetery Cremation and Funeral Association (FCCFA).

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