Interest in embalming as a part of funeral arrangements has dropped, according to a Wake Forest University study, while a growing number of consumers are willing to consider alternative methods of disposition once they become aware of them.
“Although nearly all respondents (94.2 percent) had heard of the practice [of embalming], only 43.1 percent reported that they would consider it,” the survey found.
Embalming, which the survey called a “cornerstone” of the funeral industry, has long been a staple in the services offered by mortuaries. Up until less than 10 years ago, full casket burials, many of which included embalming, accounted for the majority of dispositions. Cremations, however, now account for well more than half of all dispositions in the United States, and the practice is projected to continue to grow.
The interest in embalming was less than 50 percent in all but one region in the United States. In the South, where 52.2 percent would consider embalming. In the West, the interest was particularly low, at 24.8 percent. In the Northeast, which includes New Jersey, the level of interest was at 44.8 percent.
The study concluded that, at least in the West, current licensing requirements for funeral directors might need to be reconsidered.
“This information could inform state legislatures in the West when considering whether to bifurcate funeral directing/embalming licenses and otherwise reduce the importance of embalming education and training in the licensure of funeral directors,” the study stated.
In New Jersey, the state Legislature has already considered that change, creating a license for those who want to practice mortuary science but not embalm bodies. The New Jersey law, however, does requires education in the practice.
The study also points to what it calls the “cremation paradox.” While 72.6 percent of those surveyed said they would consider cremation, only 33.4 percent said it was their first option. The study called that gap a “significant disconnect.”
“When coupled with the substantial stated interest in other methods of disposition, this survey data suggests that the current market may be shaping consumer behavior through constraints rather than genuinely meeting consumer desire,” the study said.
While the study does not indicate what those constraints might be, costs could be a factor. A full casket burial carries a price tag significantly higher than cremation.
Full casket burial, cremation and body donation to science were the options that a huge majority of consumers were aware of, with green burial, alkaline hydrolysis and natural organic reduction body treatments and disposition that fewer people knew. The study, however, also found that when lesser-known options were explained to consumers, they were more willing to consider them. Alkaline hydrolysis is often called water cremation, and natural organic reduction is referred to as human composting.
“Policymakers and those seeking to influence legislature to legalize water cremation and human composting may wish to pay particular attention to the willingness of respondents to consider these newer methods of disposition, the study concluded.
Overall, consumers were more willing to considering cremation (72.6 percent) and casket burial (64.1 percent), but green burial showed significant growth potential when it comes to a chosen method of disposition. Fewer than half of those surveyed knew what green burial was, but 56.4 percent were willing to consider it once they were once it was explained to them.
The rise of alternative dispositions could present another disruption in funeral service, the study indicates.
“As alternative methods of dispositions increase availability, this may signal a future impact on the cremation rate,” the study concludes.