Losing a loved one can take us on a roller coaster of emotions. You’re in grief, but it’s also an opportunity to unite with friends and family to celebrate the departed’s life. Unfortunately, you can’t simply focus on your feelings—there’s a long list of items to complete before you can have this celebration of life. And one crucial factor is how you will part with the body. The two most common methods are burial and cremation.

Most people know what cremation is, but the particulars are often unknown to those who haven’t been involved in the process. We know this can be difficult to talk about—most people on this page aren’t here for academic purposes, and are grieving the recent or upcoming loss of a loved one—but we want to equip you with the information you need to make the best decision. 

In its simplest terms, cremation is a process that reduces the body to its basic nonorganic elements through high heat leaving eco-friendly cremated remains.

This processed bone matter resembles a dark sand and is often referred to as “ash,” although the more accurate term would be “cremated remains.” Depending on the size of the deceased’s skeletal makeup, the process creates four to eight pounds of remains.'

How Long Have People Used Cremation?

Civilizations have used cremation in some form for thousands of years, dating back to the Stone Age. However, cremation in the modern era began in 1873 when an Italian professor displayed his cremation model at the Vienna Exposition.

The Cremation Process: Step-by-Step

1. Identifying the Body

Perhaps the most important part of the cremation process is identifying the body. That’s why reputable crematories have strict guidelines to complete this part.

You will generally be asked to disclose the following information about the deceased:

• Date of birth
• Social security number
• Father and mother’s state of birth
• A DD-214 form, if the deceased was a veteran

After that information is sorted, crematories need two more documents to correctly identify and perform the cremation of a deceased person.

• Signed death certificate from a medical examiner
• Cremation permit, which is issued by the county health department
• A Cremation Authorization signed by the Next of Kin

On top of this paperwork, a family member of the deceased may also be asked to give visual confirmation of the body’s identity. 

To ensure the identity of one set of cremated remains is not confused with another, a unique metal ID tag will accompany the body and will stay with the remains, even until they are placed in the urn.

2. Preparing the Body

Usually, crematories will wash and dress the body before it is identified by a family member. The body is not embalmed, unless the family had an open-casket funeral before the cremation.

Next, jewelry that the family would like to keep is taken off the body. Then medical devices, like pacemakers, prostheses, silicone implants, and implantable radioactive isotopes (which are used to treat certain cancers) are also removed. These must be removed beforehand because they can explode under the intense heat, which could damage the crematory and the personnel that operate it. Once removed, they will either be recycled  responsibly. 

Items like pins, screws, and metal joints will not be removed. 

The body is then placed in a durable, flammable container, usually made of plywood or cardboard. The material itself must be sturdy enough to hold a body and will easily burn in the cremation chamber.

3. The Cremation Chamber

A cremation chamber, also known as a retort, is an industrial furnace made of fire-resistant bricks that can withstand up to 2000 °F (1093 °C). When in use, it points a large, jet-engine-like flame at the torso of the body. It also uses a second column of fire to burn off any particles that try to leave the chamber in order to reduce emissions.

The body, now in its flammable container, is rolled into the cremation chamber and the door is sealed. It is then exposed to extreme heat for two to three hours until the bones are reduced to fragments. The remains are left to cool before final processing.

4. Removing Metal

Now that the cremation chamber has cooled off, the operator must prepare the remains for pulverization. Metal from plates or hip replacements may be melted off, but any piece of shrapnel must be removed.

Using either their hands or a powerful magnet, the operator will remove the metal fragments that survived through the cremation chamber. 

5. Pulverizing the Remains

The leftover remains are put through a specialized processor that uses ball-bearing and rotating blades to pulverize them into the fine dust most people call “ash.”

6. Transferring Remains to a Container

Once the remains are pulverized, they are transferred to a plastic-lined container that is provided by the crematory. If the family has already chosen an urn for the deceased, they can give it to the crematory in advance. Then the remains are either picked up by the family or mailed using a sift-proof box.

What Is “Direct Cremation?”

Direct cremation is also known as “cremation without ceremony,” and simply refers to a body being cremated directly after death. The body is therefore never embalmed and not present for any funeral proceedings. 

Families who choose direct cremation do so for a couple of reasons:

• It is usually the most affordable option. It means not having to spend money on a casket, embalmings, funeral home charges, a grave plot, and a heap of other expenses.
• It’s more streamlined. Direct cremation will take place just two to three days after all the paperwork has been completed and verified, and takes a minimal time commitment from the family.

Why Do People Choose Cremation?

Cremation has gained popularity in recent years. This comes after decades of social stigma toward the practice. However, the reality is cremation and in-ground burial are just two different processes of breaking down a body, and either one might be best for your situation. Cremation uses intense heat, whereas burial uses natural decomposition.

While making final decisions for your deceased is an incredibly personal decision, there are benefits to choosing cremation over a traditional burial.

1. Simplicity

Cremation removes the complexity of ground burial ceremonies. There are significantly fewer things to manage, like coordinating family travel, finding a priest or minister to officiate, leaving time for open-casket viewings, etc. Additionally, urns are much easier to handle than full-sized caskets.

2. Cost

In earlier centuries, plots of land at cemeteries were much cheaper, allowing whole families to have space next to each other. Average funeral costs today are around $6,500. That’s including a $2,000 casket. In contrast, cremation costs less than a quarter of a funeral’s total cost. These costs can be reduced further if the family opts for direct cremation.

3. Flexibility

Traditional funerals will occur one to two weeks after the deceased passes. Because the body starts decomposing so quickly, even after being embalmed, the funeral must happen rather promptly, meaning family and friends need to make last-minute arrangements to attend the service. Cremation allows for great flexibility, where the memorial service can occur at the ease and convenience of the family.

Our services allow you to set up everything online, making it even easier for you to plan for cremations no matter how far in the future they may be.

4. Environmental Concerns

As environmental concerns become more prevalent in the public eye, it’s caused many people to reevaluate standard burials. For example, the United States buries over 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid and 2.3 billion tons of concrete each year. Those who wish their cremated remains to be scattered in nature see themselves as rejoining the cycle of life.

5. Available Space

Sometimes there isn’t any available land space at your chosen cemetery. For example, Arlington National Cemetery is probably the most famous military cemetery in the country, and their space is very limited. This isn’t an issue with cremation.

Thinking About Cremation for Your Loved Ones?

At All California Cremation, we know that a lot of factors, including religious beliefs and family traditions, go into what you choose for your family and friends after they depart from this life. We hope that this article provides a basic understanding of cremation and clears up some common misconceptions, and that reading this made it easier for you to decide as you prepare for the passing of a loved one.

If you have any further questions or would like to schedule a cremation for the future, do not hesitate to contact us.