Like most industries, bereavement and funeral services have trends that develop over time. As society and culture changes, the way we celebrate life and grieve the loss of loved ones also changes. This creates new ways to conduct funeral services and new options of burial arrangements. The following are top trends changing the funeral industry and offering interesting ways to commemorate your loved ones.
Sustainability efforts have continuously progressed within our society, so there is no surprise that eco-friendly, or green funerals, have become popular. Green funerals seek to reduce the environmental impact of all funeral arrangements. This may involve utilising a casket that is produced from recyclable materials, or simply carpooling to the service to minimise your carbon footprint. Green funerals may seem no different than traditional services, except that environmental impact on our community is reduced.
As new technology continues to drive innovation across all industries, funeral services, specifically headstones, have also evolved to incorporate more tech-savvy components. A company called Qeepr has developed a way to place a scannable QR code on your loved ones headstone for other visitors to scan. Once the QR code is scanned, visitors can view, share and learn about their life story. Through information, stories and photos uploaded through the backend of the QR code, your loved one’s legacy may live on!
Through life, people become connected to various natural elements. For example, your loved one may have enjoyed the ocean or being outdoors. Several companies are beginning to develop products and services that allow that connection to continue after death. The company Living Reef Memorial, has created a way to incorporate a person’s remains into a coral structure and attach it to the ocean’s floor. The structure then becomes life to sea creatures and other organisms.
Similar to memorial reefs, Bios Urn is an organisation that enables an individual to use the ashes of their loved ones to grow a tree. It utilises a biodegradable urn that may be planted outdoors or placed in a pot in your home with any seed type. Once the urn disintegrates, the tree begins to blossom. The biodegradable urn is 100% environmentally friendly and has no harm on the environment. This trend stems from the popularity of green funeral’s and progression of sustainability efforts.
Mesoloft is an aerospace company that has invented a way for people to scatter their loved one’s ashes into the Earth’s atmosphere. This unique way of commemorating a loved one begins by using a high altitude balloon to carry the remains near the edge of space. Once the balloon has reached the desired altitude, the compartment containing the remains is opened and the ashes are released. The ashes are then carried by the wind throughout the Earth’s atmosphere.
These interesting trends and ways of commemorating the life of your loved ones are increasing in popularity. If you would like to know more about eco-friendly or green funerals, please contact Potter’s Field Funerals. For more information regarding charitable bereavement services, please contact us.