Mortuaries in France are overwhelmed as an extended heat wave kills thousands in Europe, and a similar situation is unfolding in Venezuela as the country seeks to recover from powerful earthquakes. Meanwhile, in England, officials are trying to unravel the mystery of cremated remains that were left at a food truck near a racetrack. These stories and more are in the week in funeral news.

NEWS

Europe’s Record Heat Has Overwhelmed Paris Mortuaries and Left Families in Distress
By John Leicester and Jeffrey Schaeffer (Associated Press)
Every few minutes, the mortuary owner’s phone rings. Since a record-smashing heat wave started taking lives and storage space for bodies in Paris and beyond, the funeral directors and mourning families calling him mostly have the same question: Do you have room for one more? With all 32 places in his cold room taken, Zouhaeir Hertelli reluctantly must gently say “Non,” over and over and over again. “We’re facing a really catastrophic situation,” he said. “I’m getting hundreds of calls.” Read more here.

Mortuary in Caracas “Overwhelmed” as Venezuela Struggles to Respond After Earthquakes
By Clavel Rangel and Tom Phillips (The Guardian)
The bodies turn up on motorcycles, in the backs of cars or the load beds of pickup trucks: victims of a natural disaster that has shaken an already fragile nation to its core. Read more here.

Casket-Wrapping Service Customizes the Burial Experience
By Laurie Perez (CBS News)
There's a growing trend in the funeral industry called casket wrapping, which offers decked-out, decorated coffins. One couple shares how they blend creativity with compassion through their business, Parting Wishes, helping families fulfill their loved ones' wishes. Read more here.

Cultural Attitudes Toward Affordable Funerals Are Gradually Changing
By April D. Lee (WSB)
Funerals can cost thousands, but more families are realizing that honoring a life doesn't always require high expenses. Many now choose very affordable funeral options like cremation, direct burial, green burial, or smaller memorials that still reflect care and dignity. Read more here.

The Oldest Evidence of Mourning Rituals Reveals Paleolithic Communities Grieved Like We Do
By Layla Tiseo (The Conversation
Roughly 27,500 years ago, a 15-year-old boy was brutally mauled by a bear in Arene Candide in what is now Liguria, Italy. The attack tore through his jaw, neck and left shoulder. He was dying, but he was not alone in his final moments. Instead, his community carried him to a cave, packed his wounds and stayed with him for days until he died. Then they laid him on a bed of red ochre (a natural clay pigment) and buried him. Read more here.

The Curious Case of the Cremation Ashes Left at Newbury Racecourse Burger Van
By Esther Addley (The Guardian)
It is a puzzling story with a still unsolved mystery at its heart: Just who is the individual whose cremated remains were left on the counter of a burger van at Newbury racecourse in England? And why–despite the cremation urn being labelled with a name and a message that hints at a loving family–has no one come forward to claim it? Read more here.

Natural organic reduction is officially legal in the State of New Jersey as of July 1, 2026, bringing new business opportunities to funeral homes across the state and a new option for consumers when it comes to their death care.

After years of engagement and research with operating NOR facilities in the United States and abroad, feedback from legislators, and input from industry stakeholders, the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association has been actively involved in helping legislators craft the bill, pass the law and propose the regulations. Now, it is time to educate our members on this new facet of the industry in New Jersey.

Here are a few ways that you can learn more about NOR as the association works with the state to implement this new treatment of the body.

Powered by Nature, Approved by Law: An NOR Panel Discussion

At the 2026 Funeral Directors Convention and Expo in Atlantic City, NJSFDA Executive Director and CEO George R. Kelder Jr., CFSP, and Director of Government Affairs Samantha L. Link will moderate a panel with four natural organic reduction facility operators currently serving families in the Pacific Northwest and Europe.

This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from the individuals who pioneered this new treatment of the body and gain insight into the business end of NOR, what the process entails, and what they hear from their consumers as to why they choose NOR.

These four NOR companies will also have a presence in our Convention Exhibit Hall, giving members the opportunity to create partnerships with existing facilities to best serve families seeking out NOR when visiting their funeral home.

Panelists for this event include:

• Richard Benton, co-founder of Earth Funeral located in Washington
• Micah Truman, CEO of Return Home located in Washington
• Jenna Wheatley, care center supervisor at The Natural Funeral located in Colorado

• Pablo Metz, co-founder of Mein Erde located in Germany

Don’t miss this opportunity to network directly with those actively performing natural organic reduction to discover how to incorporate NOR into your business model.

You can register for the Convention, to be held from September 15 to September 17 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City here.

Natural Organic Reduction in New Jersey: CE Webinar (Also a Pre-Convention Live Seminar)

The New Jersey Funeral Service Education Corporation has created a new on-demand webinar. Natural Organic Reduction in New Jersey is designed to prepare you for the inevitable questions that you may receive from the families that you serve.

While you may not provide NOR services physically at your funeral home, learning the basics of the process, costs and timeline will help you guide families who are considering their options. The course also discusses how you can offer NOR to your consumers by using a third-party NOR facility–much like you would a third-party crematory.

Natural Organic Reduction in New Jersey will also be offered as a live in-person seminar on September 15, 2026 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City during the in-person continuing education day before the annual Convention.

Ensure that you are educated on NOR while obtaining a continuing education law credit by registering for this essential primer of New Jersey’s new NOR law.

To register for the on-demand webinar, click here. To register for the in-person seminar in September, click here.

How Does the Public View NOR?

Natural organic reduction has garnered significant interest from consumers in the state as well as media attention. Anecdotally, NOR facilities in the Pacific Northwest say that New Jersey has been one of the states with the largest number of decedents being flown to the West Coast to have NOR performed, so New Jersey consumers are interested.

Now, consumers do not have to ship a decedent thousands of miles to honor their wish for natural organic reduction. NOR can now be performed right here in New Jersey and Maryland, keeping the decedent close to home and the costs lower for families and making the process more accessible to a broader range of consumers.

Upon the governor’s signature of the natural organic reduction law in September 2025, the NJSFDA received many press inquiries seeking to learn more about the process and educate the public.

NJSFDA Director of Government Affairs Samantha L. Link provided interviews to several outlets on the association’s involvement in this legislation, what the NOR process entails and what is driving consumers toward this new option in death care.

Watch/listen:

Good Day Philadelphia - FOX29
National Public Radio
ABC 6 News
KYW Radio
WHYY Radio

What Questions Still Remain?

Governor Phil Murphy signed the natural organic reduction bill into law on September 11, 2025, which began a 10-month runway for the State Board of Mortuary Science of New Jersey to promulgate the regulations surrounding this law prior to its implementation. On September 15, 2025, the NJSFDA sent the Board our drafted regulatory recommendations based on the regulations of the states that have successfully implemented NOR. However, as of this publication, regulations have yet to be adopted by the Board.

In essence, the natural organic reduction law is a permissibility law, meaning that it essentially allows for natural organic reduction to take place in New Jersey. The details of NOR will be found in the regulations. There are significant questions that will be answered by the regulations including where the product of NOR can and cannot be placed, what are the requirements of a New Jersey-located NOR facility and what product testing requirements the state sets forth.

For the Board to adopt regulations, they must draft the regulations, which are then reviewed by a regulatory analyst at the Office of the Attorney General. The Board then must allow for public comments on the proposed regulations. Following that period, the Board must then respond to the public comments and make any changes they see necessary. Finally the Board must vote on the final regulations.

As it stands, and according to the state Board, the proposed regulations are in the hands of the regulatory analyst and awaiting public notice. At this time, the NJSFDA has yet to see a copy of the proposed regulations and is therefore unaware whether the association’s recommendations will be accepted by the Board in part or in totality. In the case of a law becoming effective absent regulations, the statute itself serves as the active law.

The NJSFDA remains actively involved in motivating the Division of Consumer Affairs and the governor’s office for the timely release of these regulations and will continue to publish updates in The FORUM.

If you have questions, you can contact the Manager of the Day at 800.734.3712, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or via email at njsfda@njsfda.org.

New Jersey funeral homes are required to submit an annual Regulated Medical Waste generator report by July 21, 2026, a deadline set by state regulation.

Since 2022, the state has mandated that the reports be filed electronically, and no paper copies will be accepted.

Generators of more than 200 pounds of regulated medical waste each year are required by state law to submit the RMW generator report, but even funeral homes that produce fewer than 200 pounds (considered Category 1 and Category 2 generators) must submit an abbreviated report. The reporting period is from June 22, 2025 to June 21, 2026.

Those who have filled out the online report previously should find the process familiar.

“No changes have been made to the reporting system or the report documents,” according to the state’s website.

For those unfamiliar with the process, the state has provided an instructional video on filling out and submitting the RMW report. The video can be found here. Also, a list of frequently asked questions concerning the report can be found here.

To file the generator reports, funeral homes will need their myNewJersey site login (the same login used to access VERI-NJ). This login will be used on the DEP Online Business Portal. Reminder: Your myNewJersey account must be for an individual and not a business entity. If you do not have an online account, click here to create one.

If you do not have an account, detailed instructions on how to register can be found here.

IMPORTANT: Funeral directors will not be able to file the RMW generator report if they are using Microsoft Internet Explorer. They must use either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, preferably the latest versions of those browsers.

By regulations, the burden of proof is upon each funeral home that generates RMW. See the Burden of Proof provisions at N.J.A.C. 7:26-1.13(a). Through the execution and certification of the electronic submission, funeral homes can annually and easily satisfy the burden of proof requirement.

If you have specific questions regarding the submission of your 2025 RMW Annual Generator Report, please contact the NJ Department of Environmental Protection–RMW Report Unit via email at rmwgeneratorannualreports@dep.nj.gov or call 609.292.7081 and press 4 at the prompt.

By Dr. Jennifer Lares, CFSP

When I joined the U.S. Navy in 2007, I had been a licensed funeral director and embalmer in Florida for nearly 10 years. Enlisting as an active-duty mortician opened my eyes to many things, including a new way of caring for the dead that was not so new.

I served until 2012, and while stationed at U.S. Navy Mortuary Affairs Headquarters, I supported port coordinators and families seeking burial at sea.

The U.S. Navy has overseen and carried out burials at sea for servicemembers for many years. The practice became more frequent during World War II, where historical photos can be found showing the shrouded bodies being prepared for their entrance into the ocean.

Regardless of its long history and consistent presence, burial at sea remains a mystery to most funeral service practitioners. After returning to the civilian sector with this newfound knowledge, I gradually decided to introduce it to the deathcare community. I saw how burial at sea could benefit families and honor a veteran from any branch of service in a unique and meaningful way.

Understanding what the program offers and the steps involved to facilitate an intact full-body burial at sea or the placement of cremated remains allows funeral service practitioners to present another disposition choice–one that is carried out with honor and respect.

Learning about this offering adds new information for you to share with veterans from a preplanning standpoint, in addition to coordinating this service for at-need families. Competently coordinating such a service differentiates your firm from others who may not be as willing and informed. It also gives your firm a chance to reconnect with prior families served who may have cremated remains at home and who now need a long-term disposition option.

During the offered presentation, attendees will receive resources and materials that will allow them to feel confident in providing this service within their community. They’ll have key points of contact, detailed instructions and the appropriate current forms.

They’ll also be given the opportunity to watch footage of a prior burial at sea that took place onboard a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. More than a presentation, this session will empower professionals to explore an uncommon, alternative service with confidence and capability.

Dr. Jennifer Lares, CFSP, a U.S. Navy veteran who specialized in mortuary affairs, offers her expertise through her website, Mullingmortician.com. She is uniquely qualified to discuss the military’s Burial at Sea Program. Her seminar, the U.S. Navy Burial at Sea Program, will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 16 and from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 17, 2026 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. Registration for the event is now open. Register for the 2026 Funeral Directors Convention and Expo by July 1 and receive an automatic 10 percent discount. 

New Jersey Department of Human Services Medical Review Analyst Patricia Denko, with whom funeral directors often interacted concerning irrevocable funeral arrangements, has retired from her post.

Funeral directors seeking assistance should now contact Amy Bernstein at 609.875.1491 or by email at Amy.bernstein@dhs.nj.gov.

The main number at the Division of Medical and Health Services, Office of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, at the Department of Human Services is 609.297.9758.

Barbara Ann Condon, a former member of the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association, died on June 21, 2026.

Barbara was the owner of the former Condon Funeral Home in Kearny before moving to New York State. She was heavily involved in her communities as a member of several civic and fraternal organizations, including the Kiwanis and the local chamber of commerce in New York.

Barbara also served as a volunteer driver for senior citizens in Hamilton County, NY.

She was married to Jim Svec and is survived by her sons, Christopher and Andrew; her siblings, Cathie LaVance, Mare Condon and PJ Condon; and several grandchildren.

Those wishing to honor Barbara can make a donation to St. Stephen’s Church, 141 Washington Avenue, Kearny, NJ 07032.