There is another option on the table when you are planning ahead and making preparations for preparing to die these days. It is not available in all states or even in all communities, but it is making a big splash in the funeral industry. It is bio cremation.
Bio cremation or alkaline hydrolysis, is a new alternative to traditional cremation. The first one uses heated water up to 350 degrees, pressure to keep it from boiling, and an alkaline solution, potassium hydroxide. The one that every one is familiar with, the traditional cremation uses flames fueled by natural gas in most cases. Cremation by fire is done in a cremator and bio cremation is done in stainless steel chamber called a resomator. Both will leave the bones at the end of the process that will be pulverized into an ash and returned to the family.
Which one costs more? Right now, the initial cost of the equipment for bio cremation is supposedly three times higher than the cost of a cremator, the traditional method, with installation and marketing bringing in at about $400,000. As with any new method, the first machines are very expensive. It is almost a prototype, and volume in manufacturing will reduce the cost.
When I was reading about bio cremation last year, there were only two states that had legalized the process. Now there are eight states and legislation pending in many more. There is an estimated 20,000 funeral operations in the United States. If 10% of them buy a resomator, it represents about $400 million worth of business. There are at least two companies competing for this business.
How about the cost to the consumer? There were about 20 bio cremations performed at the end of the year in Florida in 2011. They reportedly are costing “about the same” as a traditional cremation. A quick check on the cost of a traditional cremation will tell you that it ranges from $300 to $3000. It depends on what you are including in the “cost”. The variables are the combustible casket, the handling of the body, the urn, a memorial service, and the location in the country.
The bio cremation process itself will cost less. It will use about 85% less energy. It is also more environmentally friendly with a carbon footprint for the cremation by flame being 4 times that of bio cremation. Bio cremation will also not be releasing mercury from dental work into the atmosphere.
The cost structure will depend on the projected volume of the number of cremations and how the public will accept the new alternative. It will also depend on how the competitive price of the initial equipment is affected by volume and how aggressive the funeral home wants to be in recovering their return on investment.
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Cremation in America List Price: Sale Price: $11.58  |
DescriptionIn this captivating review of the history, the practice, and the industry of cremation in America, award-winning former "New York Times" columnist Fred Rosen provides an authoritative source of information and many revealing facts about an increasingly common, yet still controversial, alternative to burial. |
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Our Special Garden: Understanding Cremation Sale Price: $7.95 |
DescriptionThis book offers a gentle, thoughtful and reassuring explanation of death and cremation. It tells the true story of the author's grandfather, who had asked that his body be cremated and placed in the garden... |
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Cremation: Is It Christian? Sale Price: $3.95 |
DescriptionIs the choice between traditional burial or cremation just a matter of preference? Is it a spiritual issue at all? In this booklet the late James W. Fraser challenges us to consider the biblical teaching concerning death and burial. |
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Purified by Fire: A History of Cremation in America List Price: Sale Price: $8.94 |
DescriptionJust one hundred years ago, Americans almost universally condemned cremation. Today, nearly one-quarter of Americans choose to be cremated. The practice has gained wide acceptance as a funeral rite, in both our private and public lives, as the cremations of icons such as John Lennon and John F... |
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Encyclopedia of Cremation List Price: Sale Price: $116.84 |
DescriptionThe "Encyclopedia of Cremation" is the first major reference resource focused on cremation. Spanning many world cultures it documents regional histories, ideological movements and leading individuals that fostered cremation whilst also presenting cremation as a universal practice... |
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The UrnConcern Classic Cremation Urn. Hand Engraved Solid Brass With Black Lacquer Coat. 6" Height, Includes Velvet Storage & Display Box. List Price: Sale Price: $83.90 |
DescriptionOur Classic line of cremation urns are manufactured from sold brass,hand carved and carefully packaged in a lovely velvet box, which can be used for storage or display. The Classic Black and Gold urn features a delicate hand engraved pattern, and a dramatic black lacquer coating... |
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The Cremation of Sam McGee List Price: Sale Price: $13.37 |
DescriptionIn 1986 Kids Can Press published an edition of Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee" illustrated by painter Ted Harrison, who used his signature broad brushstrokes and unconventional choice of color to bring this gritty narrative poem to life... |
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Classic Cremation Urn 18" Necklace with Velvet Pouch Sale Price: $4.19 |
DescriptionSturdy, discreet, and secure, this Urn is 1 3/4 inches tall and has a small clear vial inside to hold a small amount of your loved ones ashes. Keep them close to you always. The urn unscrews to reveal the storage chamber... |
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Forensic Cremation Recovery and Analysis List Price: Sale Price: $63.69 |
DescriptionThe determination of identity and the evaluation of trauma require special consideration when a body suffers extreme levels of damage sustained in a fire. Beginning with the search and recovery of the cremated remains (cremains) and the interpretation of the fire scene, the challenges and practicalities of recovering and analyzing burned remains demand a unique set of skills and expertise... |
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Our Dead: Memorial, Funeral, and Cremation Addresses 1906-1924 with Two Lectures Given in Kassel, Germany May 9 and 10, 1914 (Collected Works of Rudolf Steiner) List Price: Sale Price: $24.68 |
DescriptionThis book collects Rudolf Steiner's memorial, funeral, and cremation addresses, as well as a sampling of prayers and meditations for the dead. The context, intimate and sober with grief, means that his intent is quite other than if he had been speaking in a lecture hall... |
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