Recycling of metal following cremation
If your loved one had an orthopaedic implant during their
lifetime you may wonder what happens to it after cremation. Until
recently it was accepted practice to take the implant from the
remains and place it with other implants until there was a
sufficient amount of metal to dispose of it all in the grounds of
the crematorium.
This has become less acceptable on environmental grounds over
the years and on the Continent metals that are in the cremated
remains following cremation have been recycled for a number of
years.
The metals used for implants are special medical grade stainless
steel, titanium and cobalt chrome all produced from non renewable
resources. Over time these resources will be depleted and such
metals will become less available for such operations in the
future.
The Institute of Cemetery and
Crematorium Management (external link) have identified a means
of collecting metals from participating crematoria throughout the
UK and Carlisle City Council have decided to look to the future and
the protection of our environment.
In future metals will be collected by the ICCM and recycled. Any
monies that they may collect in this process will then be donated
to bereavement related charities such as Cancer Research and the
Heart Foundation. We hope you agree that this not only protects the
environment but provides potential benefits for the living.
Carlisle Crematorium will not do this without your permission,
however, we have amended our cremation forms to seek your consent
prior to the metals being placed for recycling.
If you do not wish the metals to be recycled then we are happy
to return them to you or leave them in the cremated remains. If
they are left in the cremated remains, however, the remains will
need to buried rather than scattered.