ISF was commissioned by Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW (CCNSW) to promote the environmental sustainability of the interment industry in line with its legislative objective.
The research investigated opportunities to improve the environmental sustainability of burial and cremation practices in NSW, as well as explore opportunities to address land use issues related to interment and to foster innovation in body disposal in the state.
ISF undertook an analysis of a range of interment practices and products that are currently available and emerging. The practices across Australia and internationally that were analysed include:
- preparation of the body
- vessel
- burial and variations
- cremation
- emerging alternatives
- memorialisation and services.
Through a comparison of the various environmental impacts of burial and cremation, the project hopes to spark a conversation around the innovative and sustainable options available in NSW. This was possible through a systematic review of the literature, media and web resources, interviews with key stakeholders both in NSW and internationally, and an industry workshop.
Barriers to sustainable practice
With the findings ISF have uncovered, CCNSW aims to promote environmentally sustainable practices among the cemetery and crematoria operators it regulates. Research did however indicate a number of barriers to sustainable practice.
Legislative restrictions and inertia among industry stakeholders inhibits incentives for further research into innovative and sustainable practice. Social and cultural factors including religious preferences, affordability and a lack of information all contribute to sensitivity in the community about acceptance of alternatives, and act as significant barriers to investigating more sustainable options.
In NSW, a relatively small market limits viability of new infrastructure development for burial.
There is the opportunity however to focus on facilitating consumer choice, through an expanded range of options and improved provision of information.
ISF Research Director Brent Jacobs said, “We recognise that sustainability is not the first thing people consider when making arrangements for a deceased loved one. But pressure on land use in urban areas, the perceived stigma of locating a new cemetery in a local community, and changing consumer preferences mean that there is a need to have a wider discussion of more sustainable practices.”
Practices and products by which families decide to go about body disposal have changed overtime. The future opportunities for sustainable practice are to be further explored.
“Any future change must respect and recognise the right of all individuals to a dignified interment and treatment of their remains,” says Lead Researcher of the project Laura Wayne.
As a disclaimer, some of the report content may be considered challenging or confronting. There is no current intention to change NSW Government policy in this area, however it is important that discussion around sustainability and land use continues.
Researchers
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Adjunct Fellow -
Senior Research Consultant -
Adjunct Fellow -
Associate Professor and Research Director -
Research Principal
Year
- 2021
Client
- Cemeteries & Crematoria NSW
