For funerals involving a cremation, there are some important rules about what can be placed with someone before the cremation takes place. These may not always be obvious, but they are in place for good reason: to help crematoria accurately measure and manage their environmental impact, while also protecting the health and safety of the people who work there. Our guide explains what you need to know and why these requirements matter.
Batteries
When someone comes into our care, our team will check for pacemakers, other battery-powered medical implants and larger metal implants such as hips or pins. Where necessary, these will be removed to help ensure the cremation is carried out safely and in accordance with crematorium requirements.
Keepsakes
We encourage families to visit their loved ones and during these viewings, it’s common to leave keepsakes such as photos, books or toys. Some families choose to create displays, in and around, a coffin during the funeral service. In order to comply with regulations, we’ll have to ensure the following items are removed from the coffin before a cremation and can discuss how to return these to you.
- Toy, electronic devices or watch batteries
- Glass, metal, plastic, ceramic, or porcelain items (eg. a photo frame)
- Sealed containers, aerosol, or pressurised items (eg. a favourite perfume)
- Rubber or PVC materials (eg. shoes)
- Books of any kind
Clothing
To help minimise the release of pollutants during cremation, natural-fibre clothing is preferred. But the choice of what someone wears is a personal one, and we’ll always respect their wishes or yours if you’re choosing on their behalf.