The Environment at Huntingdon Crematorium
Environmental Policy of Huntingdon Crematorium and Cemeteries
Huntingdon Crematorium was the first Town Council run crematorium in the UK, operating green cremation where all the energy powering the super efficient electric cremators comes from the green energy electric tariffs. This ensures an approximate 90% – 95% saving in carbon emissions with each cremation compared to conventional gas cremation.
Modern electric cremators have been designed to reduce the environmental impact of cremation on the environment. They produce significantly less air pollution and if coupled with renewable energy resources, provide a carbon neutral cremation.
Electric Cremators
Huntingdon Town Council is working towards a sustainable Huntingdon.
Our crematorium operates within the guiding principles of an operating license issued by Huntingdon District Council’s licensing authority. This license states good practice guidance to help minimise the environmental impacts of the cremation process.
Composting and Rainwater Harvesting
A depot and purpose-built glasshouse has been constructed at the rear of the site which utilises an industrial composter to compost the floral tributes, grass cuttings and hedge trimmings. The compost is used in the crematorium and town flower beds and containers and rainwater is collected to be used for watering the plants in the glasshouse.
Rainwater is also collected to be used for watering the plants in the glasshouse.
Heat Exchangers
The new depot and purpose-built glasshouse has also been constructed at the rear of the site, with the heat recovered from the cremator used to heat the greenhouse which will be used to propagate and grow plants for the town’s flower beds and containers etc. The use of heat exchangers further reduces the carbon impact of the development by removing the need for traditional heating systems.
Electric Vehicle Charging Points
We have provided Electric Vehicle Charging Points to facilitate the use of electric hearses and promote a fully sustainable and environmentally friendly service. If clean renewable energy is generated onsite, through solar panels or wind turbines, then the green credentials can be enhanced further.
Sustainable Tributes
Traditional floral displays for funerals utilise floral foam (oasis) which is harmful to the environment. Floral foam can take hundreds, if not thousands of years to completely revert into elements found in nature.
Floral foam contains the same amount of plastic as 10 plastic shopping bags. It is non-biodegradable, non-recyclable and toxic for both humans and animals.
RHS has banned the use of oasis in all of its garden and horticultural shows.
Almost all plastics are made from chemicals that come from the production of planet-warming fuels (gas, oil and coal) and so our reliance on plastic therefore prolongs our demand for these fuels. Burning plastics in incinerators also releases climate-damaging gases and toxic air pollution.
At Huntingdon Crematorium, we are encouraging funeral directors and families to use local florists who employ methods that produce beautiful and natural floral arrangements without the use of plastic or floral foam. Any floral displays containing plastic or floral foam that are brought to the crematorium must be removed and taken off the premises by the funeral director or family within 24 hours.
Promotion of Environment Friendly Florists
We plan to have a separate section on the website dedicated to the promotion of florists that use traditional methods and who only use seasonal, local flowers. If your company complies with this critera and would like to be promoted on this website, please get in touch on: huntingdon.crematorium@huntingdontown.gov.uk
Memorial Gardens
The Memorial Gardens will be landscaped with footpaths and herbaceous plants and borders. A memorial niche wall will be installed to allow two sets of cremated remains to be placed together behind a plaque.
There will be a traditional memorial wall with plaques that can be inscribed, whilst the cremated remains can either be removed from the crematorium and taken home, or laid to rest within a specified area of the cemetery/gardens.
Coffin Construction
The majority of coffins used by Funeral Directors are made of veneered faced chipboard or MDF. The construction of these products involves the use of formaldehyde and other resins to bind the materials together. In turn these then enter watercourses and the water table.
Huntingdon Crematorium urges funeral directors not to use mdf/veneer faced chipboard coffins and monitors the emissions carefully to see what coffins cause potential issues. Funeral Directors will be notified of any issues caused by their coffins and will be asked to refrain from using them in the future
All coffins being brought to our crematorium must be certified suitable for cremation in accordance with the Funeral Furnishing Manufacturers Association (FFMA) or the Coffin, Casket and Shroud Association (CCSA).
In order to minimise the release of pollutants to air; clothing should be of natural fibres, such as cotton, linen and wool whereas shoes or any material manufactured from PVC should not be included. Additional items, particularly of glass or plastic must not be placed in the coffin due to particulate emissions during combustion within the cremation process. No other cremated remains (human or pet) should be placed within the coffin.
Crematorium Memorials
Huntingdon Crematorium will not permit any imported granite to be used in the crematorium grounds due to:
1. The inadequate health and safety practices in quarries and processing plants outside of the UK.
2. Lack of traceability and detailed information on raw materials to allow calculation of the carbon footprint of importation to be calculated.
3. Imported stone has a greater content of embodied carbon (the amount of carbon dioxide emitted due to processes such as extraction, manufacture and transportation).
The Memorial Gardens at Huntingdon Crematorium will be landscaped with footpaths and herbaceous plants and borders. A memorial niche wall will be installed to allow two sets of cremated remains to be placed together behind a plaque.
There will be a traditional memorial wall with plaques that can be inscribed, whilst the cremated remains can either be removed from the crematorium and taken home, or laid to rest within a specified area of the cemetery/gardens.
The ancient woodland area located within the Crematorium grounds is the area assigned for the laying to rest of ashes. Within this area, only wooden memorials are permitted to allow them to blend in to the natural surroundings and also to ensure adherence to our environmentally friendly ethos.
The formal gardens at Huntingdon Crematorium are in development but within these grounds, no imported granite will be permitted.
Nature Friendly Ashes Interments
Huntingdon Crematorium is dedicated to the protection of the wildlife within our grounds and therefore our aim is to ensure our grounds have fertile, non-toxic soil. It is for that reason that all of the cremated remains that are laid to rest within the grounds will be mixed with a specially developed soil which is composed of an all-organic mixture made using 100% biodegradable material which blends with ashes to create a soil mixture which does not harm the environment in any way and is scientifically proven to support plant life. RTN soil creates a nourishing environment scientifically proven to support plant life.
Living Memorials to have at home
RTN soil can also be purchased as part of our Living memorial option in order for burial or scattering to take place in an alternative location to our grounds. Living Memorial is a simple to use memorial kit to use at home for scattering or burying in a safe and responsible manner. The home memorial plantings can be carried out either in the ground or a suitable planter, Container or pot. The Living Memorial container is comprised of a functional, well-presented and fully recyclable cylinder in which your loved one’s ashes are placed with RTN soil ready for scattering or burial. The soil is 100% organic and does not harm the environment in any way. It is suitable for use with multiple plants.
Families can choose to purchase a home memorial kit in which their loved one’s cremated remains are returned to them, pre-mixed with the RTN soil by completing and submitting the Living Memorial Application form at the time of making arrangements for the funeral.
Contact Us
Phone: 01480 410388
Postal Address :
Sapley Road, Kings Ripton, Huntingdon, PE28 2NX
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 9am-4.30pm
Friday 9am-4pm
© Huntingdon Town Council – All Rights Reserved