Many people choose cremation over burial because they think cremation is better for the environment. While it is true that cremation does not take up any space, it is also true that cremation creates a lot of air pollution. Think about it for a minute. A typical human body plus the cremation casket will weigh somewhere between 200 and 300 pounds. After cremation, just 1 or 2 pounds of ashes remain. Where did all the other material go? Well the answer is quite literally up in smoke.
Some of the pollutants found to come from the smokestacks of crematoria include heavy metals, hydrogen chloride, dioxins and furans. A few crematoria have installed scrubbers on their smokestacks, but most have not. Click here for results of air pollution tests that were done on the smokestacks of crematoria.
Nicholas Albery, Natural Death Centre director and an editor of The New Natural Death Handbook, writes, "Anyone with green pretensions should think twice about cremation," which pollutes the atmosphere "with dioxin, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide."
A portion of the air pollution created during cremation comes from the foam rubber mattress, polyester fabric, urethane finish and composite wood of conventional caskets. Because the Eco Casket is made from all natural materials, it is also a good environmental choice as a cremation casket. The handles of the Eco Casket are bolted on, and can easily be removed by funeral home personnel just before the actual cremation.