Editing Cremation (section)

== Environmental impact ==
Despite being an obvious source of [[carbon emissions]], cremation does have [[natural environment|environmental]] advantages over burial, depending on local practice. Studies by Elisabeth Keijzer for the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Research found that cremation has less of an environmental impact than a traditional burial (the study did not address [[natural burial]]s), while the newer method of [[alkaline hydrolysis (body disposal)|alkaline hydrolysis]] (sometimes called ''green cremation'' or ''resomation'') had less impact than both.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Keijzer |first1=Elisabeth |title=The environmental impact of activities after life: life cycle assessment of funerals |journal=International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment |date=May 2017 |volume=22 |issue=5 |pages=715–730 |doi=10.1007/s11367-016-1183-9 |bibcode=2017IJLCA..22..715K |s2cid=113516933 |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/148285704.pdf |access-date=10 July 2021}}</ref> The study was based on Dutch practice; American crematoria are more likely to emit [[Mercury (element)|mercury]], but are less likely to burn hardwood coffins.<ref name="bbc-ah"/> Keijzer's studies also found that a cremation or burial accounts for only about a quarter of a funeral's environmental impact; the carbon emissions of people travelling to the funeral are far greater.<ref name="bbc-ah">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/dissolving_the_dead|title=Dissolving the dead: Alkaline hydrolysis, a new alternative to | date=22 May 2017|access-date=4 January 2020|work=BBC News}}</ref>

Each cremation requires about {{cvt|28|usgal|L|order=flip}} of fuel and releases about {{cvt|540|lbs|kg|order=flip}} of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Thus, the roughly 1 million bodies that are cremated annually in the United States produce about {{cvt|270,000|short ton|t|order=flip}} of carbon dioxide, which is more CO<sub>2</sub> pollution than 22,000 average American homes generate in a year.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2016/5/29/11775976/natural-green-burial|title=A different way to die: the story of a natural burial|last=Herzog|first=Katie|date=29 May 2016|access-date=29 May 2016}}</ref> The environmental impact may be reduced by using cremators for longer periods, and relaxing the requirement for a cremation to take place on the same day that the coffin is received, which reduces the use of fossil fuel and hence carbon emissions. Cremation is therefore becoming more friendly toward the environment.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Spongberg | first = Alison L. |author2=Becks, Paul M. |date=January 2000 | title = Inorganic Soil Contamination from Cemetery Leachate | journal = Water, Air, & Soil Pollution | volume = 117 | issue = 1–4 | pages = 313–327 | doi = 10.1023/A:1005186919370 | bibcode = 2000WASP..117..313S | s2cid = 93957180 }}</ref> Some funeral and crematorium owners offer a carbon neutral funeral service incorporating efficient-burning coffins made from lightweight recycled [[Sandwich-structured composite|composite]] board.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.carbonneutral.com.au/images/pdf/invocare.pdf |publisher=carbonneutral.com.au |title=Funeral Industry Case Study |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225214108/http://www.carbonneutral.com.au/images/pdf/invocare.pdf |archive-date=25 February 2014  }}</ref>

Burial is a known source of certain environmental contaminants, with the major ones being [[formaldehyde]] and the coffin itself. Cremation can also release contaminants, such as [[Mercury (element)|mercury]] from [[Dental restoration|dental fillings]].<ref name="bbc-ah"/> In some countries such as the United Kingdom, the law now requires that cremators be fitted with abatement equipment (filters) that remove serious pollutants such as mercury.

Another environmental concern is that traditional burial takes up a great deal of space. In a traditional burial, the body is buried in a casket made from a variety of materials. In the United States, the casket is often placed inside a [[concrete]] vault or liner before burial in the ground. While individually this may not take much room, combined with other burials, it can over time cause serious space concerns. Many [[cemetery|cemeteries]], particularly in Japan<ref>{{cite book| last = Shimizu| first = Louise Picon| author2 = Maruyama, Meredith Enman| author3= Tsurumaki, Nancy Smith| title = Japan Health Handbook| year = 1998| publisher = Kodansha International| isbn = 4-7700-2356-1| page = 335| quote = Not only is cremation of the body and interment of the ashes in an urn a long-standing Buddhist practice, it is also a highly practical idea today, given the scarcity of burial space in crowded modern Japan. }}</ref> and Europe as well as those in larger cities, have run out of permanent space. In [[Tokyo]], for example, traditional burial plots are extremely scarce and expensive,<ref>{{cite book| last = Furse| first = Raymond| title = Japan: An Invitation| year = 2002| publisher = Tuttle Publishing| isbn = 0-8048-3319-2| page = 73| quote = <nowiki>[L]</nowiki>and prices so high that a burial plot in Tokyo a mere 21 feet square could easily cost $150,000. }}</ref> and in [[London]], a space crisis led [[Harriet Harman]] to propose reopening old graves for "double-decker" burials.<ref>{{cite news | title = Double burials in UK cemeteries to solve space shortage | last = Land | first = John | work = 24dash.com | date = 30 May 2006 | url = http://www.24dash.com/content/news/viewNews.php?navID=2&newsID=6290 | access-date = 13 July 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070926234849/http://www.24dash.com/content/news/viewNews.php?navID=2&newsID=6290 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 26 September 2007}}</ref><!-- This has long been the custom in many parts of Europe, no? And what about the enormous catacomb ossuaries in Paris?--> Some cities in Germany do not have plots for sale, only for lease. When the lease expires, the remains are disinterred and a specialist bundles the bones, inscribes the forehead of the skull with the information that was on the headstone, and places the remains in a special crypt. In Singapore, cremation is preferred by most Singaporeans because burial there is limited to 15 years.<ref name=Statistics2019>{{cite web|url=https://www.cremation.org.uk/International-cremation-statistics-2019|title=International Cremation Statistics 2019|publisher=The Cremation Society of Great Britain|access-date=2024-06-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Crypt Burial System |url=https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/after-death/crypt-burial-system |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=www.nea.gov.sg |language=en |quote=The New Burial Policy, introduced in 1998 to address the issue of land scarcity, limits burial to 15 years. After this period, graves will be exhumed and the remains cremated or re-interred, depending on one's religious requirements.}}</ref>