Debunking Common Cremation Myths

With the surging popularity of cremation services Flint, MI, as a viable option for final disposition, misconceptions around cremation and how it works abound. Understanding cremation is important to dispel these myths once and for all.

Below are some common myths about Cremation:

1. Cremation is Always Cheaper Than Burial

More often than not, this statement is true when you compare the average costs. Cremation doesn’t need you to spend anything on a large plot, casket, embalming, and gravesite maintenance.

But at times, the cost of cremation can be greater than a traditional burial. For instance, if the bereaved family wishes to buy an expensive urn or hold a personalized scattering service.

Plus, some families choose to have an open-casket viewing and memorial service before the cremation. This can add to the overall cost of the event.

2. Cremation Remains Can Get Mixed with Someone Else

Well, it’s more of a baseless fear than a myth. Many people believe that you might get someone else’s remains. It cannot be any farther from the truth.

No crematory authority can simultaneously cremate more than one human remains in the same cremation chamber unless it has written authorization to do so from the bereaved families. This happens when more than one member of the same family is cremated and the next kin wishes to cremate them together as a spiritual tradition. Regardless, it rarely happens.

Additionally, every funeral home and crematorium has protocols in place that ensure the identity of each body and that the resulting cremated remains are never in doubt.

But if you still have any doubts, be present for the actual cremation. It is your right to watch the cremation and offer one last goodbye to the deceased.

3. Cremation is Eco-Friendly

It can be labeled as a partial truth. The cremation process is significantly more eco-friendly than a traditional burial, but it itself is not eco-friendly in the least.

Yes, cremation does not use up so much space, embalming fluids, steel, or wooden caskets, yet the burning of the deceased’s body releases harmful chemicals. More so, for a cremation to take place large amounts of fossil fuels are required which in turn releases several harmful chemicals into the atmosphere.

Some of these harmful chemicals include nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrofluoric acid, and mercury. An eco-friendly alternative is bio-cremation, in which the remains are dissolved by an emission-free chemical and liquid process.

The bottom line is, cremation is a far better eco-friendly option than a traditional funeral, yet it is far from a full-proof environmentally friendly option. Roughly the harm to the environment caused by the cremation process is the environmental equivalent of a 500-mile car ride. Now, that can be more or less harmful than you are comfortable with.

Hopefully, you are in a better position to answer the prevalent queries about Cremation. As per funeral experts, the trend of Cremation is expected to only increase in the future, so you should be able to discern facts from falsehood.

Feel free to ask us anything about cremation services Flint, MI.