What Is Cremation?

At the most basic level, cremation is the process of safely reducing human remains into bone fragments. This is done most often with heat and flame. However, in recent years, an alternative process using liquid chemicals called water cremation, aquamation, or alkaline hydrolysis has emerged as a cremation option in some states.

Now, demand for cremation services is at a record high. The decision between cremation and burial is an intensely personal one. Our hope is that by providing objective, sourced information, you can make the decision that is right for you.

How Many Americans Choose Cremation?

According to the National Funeral Directors Association, cremation is now the most popular final disposition option in the United States, about twice as popular as burial.

According to the NFDA, the cremation rate is now above 60 percent nationwide as compared to 34 percent for burial, according to the organization’s 2023 report. By 2024, the NFDA projects that rate to reach over 80 percent. In the West, rates are already near or higher than 80 percent in states like Washington, Nevada, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado.

The group says that consumers have a variety of reasons for choosing cremation vs. burial for themselves or a loved one. Among them, “cost considerations, environmental concerns, an increasingly transient population, changing consumer preferences and fewer religious prohibitions against the practice.”

So what exactly is cremation, how does it work and what does it cost?

How Does Cremation Work? 

According to the Cremation Association of North America (CANA), cremation is defined as the mechanical, thermal, or dissolution process that reduces human remains to bone fragments. Those fragments are then processed to create a finer substance, usually with fragments no larger than 1/8th of an inch. Though often called “ashes,” cremated remains or “cremains” are actually more similar to sand after processing.

In cremation, remains are heated to about 1400 - 1600 degrees Fahrenheit, and the procedure generally takes about the time it would take to watch a long movie (but can range from 30 minutes to two hours). Two chambers work together, breaking down both the solid and gas components. Beyond the cremation itself, there are a number of other tasks and situations that can take time, such as paperwork, approvals, and staffing, but the cremation itself is a relatively quick procedure.

The vast majority of cremations in the United States are flame cremations in which flame and heat are used, leaving only cremation “ashes.” A number of states have approved a process called alkaline hydrolysis which some call “water cremation.” In alkaline hydrolysis, the body is also reduced into fragments, but some waste is discarded in liquid form. According to CANA, the process uses alkaline chemicals, heat, agitation, and pressure to reduce the body into the waste and the solid remains.

What Are the Steps in the Cremation Process?

According to CANA, these are the eight usual steps in the cremation process.

1. The body is placed in a cremation container. According to CANA, it can be made of cardboard, particle board, or wood. It can even be a highly polished casket, as long as it is combustible and non-toxic. It cannot be metal.
2. The staff will confirm the person's identity and check all paperwork. A cremation number or other identification will be assigned. The number and ID are often stamped onto a stainless steel disc or barcode. This ID stays with the remains throughout the process.
3. When it is time for the cremation to begin, the body will be moved to a table outside the cremator after identification is confirmed using the paperwork and disc.
4. The body is placed inside the retort in the main chamber with the stainless steel identification disc.
5. The door is closed, and the process is monitored throughout. Time varies from half an hour to two hours or more, depending on the person’s size and any stored heat in the chamber.
6. When complete, the door is opened, and the ID and paperwork are checked again. The remains are removed and allowed to cool before processing.
7. Once cool, the remains are run through a processing machine called a cremulator, which pulverizes them and reduces their size to less than 1/8th of an inch.
8. Cremated remains are put in a strong plastic bag and placed either in an urn or a temporary container. Identification is checked again and the disc is placed in the container with the remains. The urn and box are labeled and paperwork is checked again before being stored for the family’s retrieval or delivery.

The Science of Cremation

According to CANA, the process of cremation is basically changing a solid into a gas. Because the human body is 65 to 85 percent water, the high temperature helps create an environment where tissues, organs, body fat, and casket materials burn off as gasses, leaving bones as remains. Bone fragments remain in the primary chamber while gasses like carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water are discharged into the atmosphere.

What is the History of Cremation?

According to the Cremation Association of North America, most scholars believe Western cremation began in the Stone Age, around 3,000 B.C., and spread across Northern Europe.

Meanwhile, the planning website Cake says archeologists have found evidence of cremation in the Near East from 9,000 years ago.

In Japan where cremation was illegal about 150 years ago, the choice is now nearly universal.

What Can Be Cremated?

Jewelry, watches, medical and dental implants, and other items are removed prior to cremation. Sometimes, a family may request that a special item, such as a prayer book, photo, letter, or flowers, be added to the cremation. The funeral director has to determine if it will create a safety hazard for the staff and equipment. 

What’s Left in the Remains?

Bone fragments retrieved from the main chamber are mostly calcium phosphates with some other minor minerals, according to CANA. Remains are usually white to gray in color. Metal may be found in the remains of surgical implants like hip replacements or dental fillings. They are separated and usually recycled. The cremation process usually generates about four to six pounds. The chamber is swept or vacuumed thoroughly to retrieve as much of the remains as possible. A high-powered magnet is used to remove any metals that were missed before the cremation from the final package of cremation ashes.

How Do I Know I’m Getting My Loved One’s Remains?

Though state cremation regulations differ on the details of how identification is checked and rechecked during the cremation process, you can feel confident that your funeral provider has many rules in place to make sure your loved one’s remains are handled professionally throughout the journey. With metal tags or barcodes and paperwork, staff at various parts of the procedure will verify the identity before moving on to the next step.

Is Cremation Cheaper Than Burial?

Depending on which cremation services you select, cremation costs significantly less than burial. Though the end result is the same, there are a variety of price points and options when you choose cremation. The most affordable cremation option is usually “direct cremation” which is a cremation that happens “directly,” before there is any celebration, memorial, or funeral. Some families prefer cremation combined with a memorial. This is called “traditional cremation,” since it follows many of the traditional elements for casketed burial. The big difference is the cost:

• The national median price for a direct cremation is $2,645 but can vary depending on the funeral provider and the region. 
• A full-service traditional cremation is about $6,000 on average according to the NFDA. 
• Add-ons, such as embalming, caskets for viewing, and other optional items, add to the final cost. 

Direct vs.Traditional Cremation: What’s the Difference?

In a full-service or traditional cremation, families can arrange to have a funeral, viewing, or other services arranged with the help of a funeral provider who may also offer additional help. 

Traditional cremation can include:

• Transportation to the funeral home
• Embalming
• Help with an obituary
• Paperwork completed and filed
• Planning a funeral or other gathering
• Preparation of the deceased
• Use of facility or van
• Opportunity to purchase urn
• Opportunity to place ashes in a cemetery, urn, or other option

According to the NFDA’s price survey of 2023, a traditional cremation that included those items and others would cost $6,280 on average.

In a direct cremation, the cremation generally happens quickly and without the need for embalming. 

Direct cremation services usually include:

• Transportation to the cremation provider
• Storage in a climate-controlled environment
• Paperwork completed and filed
• Cremation in an alternative container
• Ashes placed in cardboard urn
• Cremation urn collected, delivered or sent by U.S.P.S. mail

Families who choose to have a memorial or a celebration of life service can schedule them after the direct cremation. Ashes can be placed in a more decorative cremation urn, cremation memorial of some type, or cremation jewelry after delivery (among other options).

Direct Cremation Pricing

Direct cremation is sometimes offered at a set price in cremation packages or may include add-on fees after a basic charge. Be sure if you are comparing direct cremation prices to make sure you are comparing “apples to apples.” Some cremation providers will charge extra to remove medical devices or for larger loved ones. Make sure you find out the complete cost when comparing prices for cremation.

Some funeral providers have their own crematories on site, some have regional crematories but your loved one does not leave that company’s care, others work with third-party providers for the cremation, but your funeral provider handles all the other aspects of care.

What Can Be Done with Cremated Remains?

According to the NFDA, about a third of consumers surveyed about their preferences said they’d rather have their cremated remains “buried or interred in a cemetery” rather than “kept in an urn, scattered in a sentimental location, split among relatives, kept in a place of worship or other option.”

There are many burial options for cremated remains, including a burial plot with a headstone, cremation niche, cremation garden, or columbarium, offer families a special place to visit and remember. Cremated remains can be interred in a cemetery in a number of ways, from pedestals to statuary. 

You may scatter cremated remains on land, in water, or by air — with permission or permit, if needed. Many families choose a national park that evokes a favorite vacation or memory.  

Cremation Keepsakes, Jewelry, and More

For others, there are an almost limitless number of options. Some choose to use ashes in tattoos, cremation stones, or memorial diamonds. Others opt to have their ashes mixed with fireworks for a colorful and unique sendoff.

For some families, using a portion of cremated remains in a keepsake item or in jewelry is a way to keep the memory of their loved one close by. There are a number of options available in cremation jewelry including pieces that allow you to place some cremated remains inside a compartment like a charm or pendant. Other cremation jewelry embeds a portion of the ashes in the material itself, such as glass. There are also many lovely memorial items from teddy bears to urns large and small that can be used to store the loved one’s remains.

Saving Money on Cremation

While cremation is generally less expensive than burial, there are a number of things you can do to help you stay within your budget. Under the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule, you have rights that outline which charges you must pay for and which you can choose or decline. The FTC also requires that all funeral providers give you a list of prices which is called the General Price List or GPL. Some funeral providers make their GPL available online while others will email or mail you a copy. While they can be complicated to read, consumer groups, like the Funeral Consumers Alliance or the planning website Cake, have tips on how to understand them.

Talking with Family About Cremation

If after researching cremation, you’ve decided it is the option that you would like, it is important to share your cremation planning with your family. Having written instructions and naming a person to handle your funeral arrangements is crucial to getting the goodbye you want. If you die without a will or other legal documents, your next of kin will be left to make the choices for you. To avoid this scenario, a funeral provider can help you plan ahead or help you purchase a prepaid cremation. There are often payment plans or insurance that can be used. A funeral director can talk with you about your options. If you go the DIY route, a bank account that is “payable upon death” can be a place where you set money aside for the plans you’d like. You can also tell friends and family where you’d like your ashes interred or scattered, and there are many other options for cremated remains.

As cremation has become more popular, there are almost infinite ways to be remembered and celebrated. We hope that knowing more about the process has made the choices available to you clearer and less scary. Know that by choosing your end-of-life wishes and making them now, you are giving a gift to your loved ones, who will not have to guess about what you would have wanted.