When pre-planning your final disposition or deciding on a deceased loved one’s funeral, you usually choose between a burial or cremation. This is a tough choice to make based on various factors, including religious or spiritual beliefs, financial capabilities, ecological awareness, and more.
Before you decide, learn more about how cremation provides practical advantages. Read some of the benefits of cremation services below:
Lower Costs
Before purchasing something, it’s essential to establish a budget and know what you can afford. The average funeral can cost you up to $11,000. If you look at most funeral homes’ price list, you’ll find that cremation costs typically less than a burial.
On average, a cremation service is around 45-50% cheaper than a burial service because you don’t need to purchase a casket, headstone, grave space, or burial vault. Many bereaved families use these savings to offset the cost of a celebration of life or memorial service.
Environmental Sustainability
Many people view cremation as an eco-friendly option compared to underground interment. This is because a burial often requires harsh chemicals to preserve the remains for a funeral service. These embalming chemicals include a variety of harmful substances, sanitizing and disinfectant agents, and additives. All of these cause severe damage to the environment.
Moreover, a burial takes up land space, and the caskets disrupt the natural decaying process under the earth. In contrast, a crematory does release emissions. But new types of equipment are continually being developed to reduce pollution and environmental impact.
A Simpler Process
Another popular reason for families to select cremation is because of the simplicity it offers. When people choose to bury their loved ones, they feel overwhelmed in planning a funeral, coordinating things with the cemetery, and organizing a visitation. A straightforward disposition, like direct cremation, saves the bereaved from unnecessary decisions and difficulty during this time of loss.
The uncomplicated nature of cremating the body allows for dignified grieving. Instead of spending time away from your family and friends, you only have to prepare brief ceremonies. This way, you’ll have more time to comfort one another and create a meaningful remembrance service for the departed.
Cemetery Availability
For generations, burials have been the primary method of final internment for most families. Although, as cemeteries are beginning to approach limited capacity, many are now charging more for their remaining plots. Also, due to the lack of space and increased burial costs, people are now considering cremation.
One of the practical benefits of cremation is that it allows you to forego buying a burial plot and saves you the cost. However, if you wish to have your deceased loved one buried, many cemeteries now offer scattering gardens. This is where your family and friends spread and revisit the cremated remains.
Freedom to Choose
You may decide that cremation is the best choice simply because you control what happens when you pass away. Reducing the remains into ashes gives you more options; some prefer columbaries as a final internment place, while others prefer keeping the ashes at home.
Today, individuals gravitate toward cremation to either disrupt outdated beliefs or uphold centuries-old tradition. Regardless of the intention, crematories provide a welcomed option.
A Catalyst for Change
Cremation does not only inspire technological advancements for funeral alternatives. It also gives religions a way to exhibit how the faith can adjust to modern times. In 2016, for example, the Vatican declared that the soul is immortal and does not rely on the physical form. The announcement makes cremation officially acceptable for Catholics.
Flexibility
One of the most neglected benefits of a cremation service is flexibility. Cremation gives you several options on what you can do to your loved one’s ashes. You can scatter them at a unique location, store them in a beautiful urn, or keep a small portion in a piece of memorial jewelry. There are so many creative things you can do with cremated ashes.
Moreover, your family can benefit from flexibility when making service arrangements. It is quite common for families to plan these services weeks or even months after death. This allows you to arrange a more personalized ceremony and accommodate schedule and travel to ensure that loved ones far away can attend.
Contact a reputable cremation services provider today for more information on how you can have a simple and dignified memorial and internment for your departed loved ones.