Plan for the Future
Cremation is gaining in popularity by the year, mostly due to the increased flexibility it offers our families as they plan a proper memorial. But at many funeral homes, we’re getting more families who want to give cremation services in New Providence, NJ an eco-friendly, sustainable twist. At Bradley & Son Funeral Homes, we’ve been adapting our services to provide more options to our eco-conscious families.
Biodegradable Urns
If you’re considering a cremation that involves burying the urn, you might want to consider a unique option that results in a dramatic memorial. Biodegradable urns contain a tree seed in the base, and are designed to break down in the soil once buried. This releases the ashes and the seed, which grows into a tall and powerful tree ideal for the centerpiece of a memorial garden dedicated to your loved one.
A Unique Sea Burial
For those considering scattering the ashes at sea, a new option provides unique benefits to the ocean ecosystem. Coral balls are specially shaped ash receptacles that are designed to hold a portion of the ashes on the ocean floor, and are marked with a GPS chip for easy locating. They’re shaped in a way that attracts ocean life like coral and barnacles to attach to them, creating a miniature ecosystem that sustains ocean life.
Aquamation
One of the biggest elements of cremation services is the transformation of the remains through the cremator, a powerful oven burning up to 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit. This process has a high carbon footprint, but a new alternative offers the same results without the fire. Aquamation, or Alkaline Hydrolysis, uses a heated alkaline solution to speed up the body’s natural breakdown process and takes only eight hours to break a body down to bone ash, only twice as long as a standard cremation.
Private Scattering Ceremonies
Many of our families choose a full memorial service to accompany cremation, either before or after. However, an increasingly popular option is to hold a private service at a later date to scatter the ashes at a meaningful location. This is often somewhere in the wild, like the top of a mountain, but can also be a private location like a beloved sports stadium. These private ceremonies have a smaller carbon footprint, and cremation ashes are sterile and safe to scatter.
Memorial Gardens
If you’re planning to inter the ashes in a local cemetery, an option that’s becoming increasingly popular is the communal scattering or burial at a memorial garden. This collective haven has no gravesites, but often has plaques dedicated to everyone who’s been scattered here. Those who choose to lay their loved ones to rest here often find comfort in the community that forms among those who come to visit, with none of the carbon footprint of traditional burial.
If you’re looking for more tips on how to create green cremation services in New Providence, NJ, our staff can help. Find us on our website or contact Bradley & Son Funeral Homes, LLC for more information today.
