By Melissa Petruzzi.

Many aspects of the death care industry are changing, but perhaps one of the biggest changes is the push toward cremation.

Cremation has been the most popular death care option for Americans since 2015, and its popularity continues to climb. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, in the next 20 years nearly 80% of all Americans will opt to have their bodies cremated, but what makes this such an appealing option?

Several factors can be attributed to the rising popularity of cremations, including affordability, decreased religious restrictions, and environmental concerns. Among these reasons, cost ranks the highest, considering the average cremation is about a third of the price of a traditional burial. This financial aspect alone is compelling enough for many to make the decision to be cremated.

Aside from financial burden, many people are beginning to consider the environmental toll of traditional burials. Cremation is a faster, simpler process that saves acres upon acres of land space. While cremation is not entirely free of environmental impact, it is a much greener option than a traditional burial.

The process of cremation has become more popular for reasons other than environmental concerns, too. Many family members choose to have keepsakes made from the ashes of their loved ones. Some have had the ashes of a loved one encased in a glass pendant, while others have them mixed into paint or ink for a memorial tattoo or portrait. Many families choose to keep the ashes in an urn or scatter them somewhere meaningful to the deceased. There are endless creative ways that one can incorporate a loved one’s ashes into a meaningful memorial keepsake.

As the popularity of cremations continues to rise, cemeterians will have to make some adjustments to accommodate the needs of families. Cemeteries and funeral homes can offer a number of services in addition to the cremation itself in order to drive revenue.

Making changes to the way you do business can seem overwhelming and chaotic, but everything necessary for cremations and related services can be streamlined through CemSites’ cremation software. Our cremation software can help you keep track of cremains, automate documents, generate reports, and more. As always, our goal is to help cemeteries manage their business so they can get back to focusing on the communities they serve, and that encompasses all death care options.

To learn more about our Crematory Module, click here!