Cremation: All You Need To Know

Cremation is another common method of burial. Currently, 25-30% people chose to cremate, and these figures have been increasing over the past twenty years.
Cremation follows these steps: 

Step 1:

Any scheduled ceremonies, rites of passage, or viewings have been completed. All authorization forms and permits must be completed and signed.

Step 2:

The funeral director or cremation provider should be made aware if the decedent has a pacemaker, prosthesis, or any other mechanical or radioactive devices or implants, as they may have to be removed prior to cremation. The funeral director or cremation provider should also be made aware if the decedent was recently treated with any radioactive medication.

All personal possessions or valuable materials, should also be removed before going to the crematory. 

Step 3:

The casket the deceased will be cremated in must also be selected; the state of North Carolina requires bodies to be encased combustible, leak-proof, rigid, covered container, if a casket is not being used.

Note: The state of North Carolina also requires a waiting period of 24 hours from the time of death before the human remains may be cremated.

Step 4:
The cremation process begins with the placement of the casket (or container) in the cremation chamber where it's subjected to intense heat and flame reaching temperatures between 1,400 and 1,800 degrees fahrenheit.
The time for cremation to be completed varies with the size and weight of each human remains, but usually takes between 1 1/2 and 3 hours.

Step 5:
After a cooling period, the cremated remains are then swept or raked from the cremation chamber.
Cremated remains, depending on the bone structure of the decedent, will weigh between three and nine pounds, and are usually white in color, but can be other colors due to temperature variations and other factors.

Step 6:
The crematory should be provided with an urn in which the cremated remains will be placed. If no urn is provided or the urn is not large enough to hold all the remains, the crematory will place the remains or any excess in a container made of plastic, light metal, cardboard, unfinished wood, or other suitable material to hold the remains until an urn is acquired or the cremated remains are scattered.

Step 7:

The urn or the container containing the cremated remains will be returned to you or the individual cemetery or funeral home you have designated on the cremation authorization form.

If it hasn't already been decided on the final resting place for the cremated remains, you may want to consult the professional who assisted you on the many options available. Options can include:

• placement of the urn containing the cremated remains in an indoor or outdoor mausoleum or columbarium
• interment of the urn containing the cremated remains in a family burial plot or in a special urn garden that many cemeteries provide for cremated remains
• scattering of the cremated remains in a cemetery garden especially created and dedicated for this purpose
• scattering the remains at sea or on land in accordance with state/provincial or local laws
• the urn may, of course, also be taken to the home of a loved one, but plans should be made for an eventual permanent resting place.

Though it does consume much energy to initiate, cremation can be one tenth of the cost of embalming, though averaging around $1,500 to $4,000 if arranged through a funeral home. The body itself leaves also much less toxic chemicals than embalming, and the most environmentally-impactful aspect are the chemicals released during the cremation. Therefor, the level of toxicity (and amount of money spent) rests on what type of coffin the body is burned in. 
The standard cardboard box is about $50, while other coffins are as expensive as $2,750 dollars. 

Cremation also gives the family many options with how to deal with their loved ones, giving the possibility of scattering their remains, or keeping the ashes.