During the 1990s, large corporations purchased many independent funeral homes, anticipating financial benefits from serving the aging baby boomer population. This turned out to be a poor business decision, as increasing numbers of individuals choosing cremation over burials upset the financial model, yielding much lower profits than expected. These large companies were unresponsive and inflexible in the face of increased demands for cremation, leading to lost revenue and the eventual sales or closing of many businesses that were unable to adapt. Today, the industry is shifting toward customer service dedicated to personalization, individualization, and creativity to meet the changing demands of the consumer. Funeral homes increasingly adapt their offerings by customizing services for each family they serve. community meetings, between funeral services. Community and social functions require a reception room that can accommodate a large group, availability in the evenings, and adequate parking, all of which are common at most funeral homes. Kitchen space and equipment with access for catering staff or banquet space and servers may be required. As funeral homes become more integrated into community life, assisted by new marketing strategies such as social media networking, they can be a place to do more than grieve, as the recent trend in creative funerals suggests; they can be a place to celebrate life and need not be associated only with death. The appearance and ambiance of funeral homes is also changing. Where traditional funeral homes may have felt intimidating and somber, formerly decorated in formal, dark wood, they are now friendly, inviting, elegant, comfortable, and often use attractive colors. Foyers and reception areas are warm, with comfortable furniture. There is a desire for bright, airy spaces that are not only welcoming but provide a suitable environment for any type of social gathering as well as spiritual services. Colors are very important because they can influence mood; visitation rooms typically have very simple decorations and muted wall colors to highlight floral arrangements.
who now have more options when selecting funeral professionals who align with their specific preferences and needs, while bringing fresh perspectives to the profession. Meanwhile, the tradition of passing down the family business from one generation to the next has experienced a major decline, making way for people who once were unlikely to consider funeral service as a career. In addition to an increased number of women, many of today’s mortuary school graduates do not have family members in the funeral service business, and yet instead have chosen to join the profession as a second career, finding great satisfaction. A myriad of opportunities await people contemplating funeral service as a career option. Changing funeral home function and design Changes in funeral home function have produced a range of adaptations to traditional funeral home design in the past decade. Innovations are driven by technological improvements in mechanical systems, energy-efficient building materials, and green practices as well as new safety requirements for ventilation and chemical handling and disposal. Other innovations are associated with the evolving nature of the funeral industry; the increased demand for cremation, including resomation; the reduced demand for traditional burials; and more flexible building designs that can accommodate a variety of community functions. Cremation calls for drastically redesigned facilities, including a crematorium; a dedicated cremation chapel with viewing access; a room to comfortably view videos about cremation services; and/or a location to attractively display urns, keepsakes, and other options for the interment of ashes. Burial grounds are also changing. Natural burials have strict rules regarding practices and materials as well as land maintenance. As of 2025, there are 98 natural burial grounds certified in the United States (New Hampshire Funeral Resources & Education, n.d.). Following this green trend, groundskeepers are turning to less resource-intensive maintenance practices. Funeral homes are branching out by hosting a variety of functions beyond wakes, such as family reunions and
NATURAL OR “GREEN” FUNERALS
Another trend, reversing how humans cared for death before its profession of care, is a natural or green burial , which does not include any embalming. All parts of the funeral, including the clothing and casket, must be made of materials that are nontoxic and biodegradable. Grave markers must also be naturally occurring and environmentally conscious, so rocks, trees, or flowers may be used as markers rather than the traditional granite or quartz (NFDA, n.d.b.). Natural Cemetery Preserve, n.d.). Common resources used for traditional funerals and burials follow: ● Chemicals : Substantial quantities of embalming fluid, ethanol, and other chemicals are used annually to prepare and preserve buried bodies. ● Wood : Significant amounts of hardwood lumber are used to build caskets each year. ● Steel : The manufacturing of steel caskets requires considerable tonnage of steel annually.
According to the NFDA, green funerals incorporate environmentally friendly options in order to meet the needs of a family requesting a green service. A green funeral may include any or all of the following: a small gathering in a natural setting; use of recycled paper products only; locally grown organic flowers; carpooling; organic food; no embalming or embalming with formaldehyde-free products; the use of sustainable and/or biodegradable clothing, shrouds, or caskets; naturally occurring burial markers; and certified natural or green burial grounds (NFDA, n.d.b.). Natural burials More cemeteries and funeral homes, especially those in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, are providing natural burials, and the demand is likely to continue to grow. The movement away from traditional funerals and burials is partly because they are resource intensive. Traditional burials and funerals require many materials, and those materials use an extensive amount of energy. In turn, this translates into a much more expensive funeral. The increased demand for green practices suggests that consumers are happy to reduce their costs and reduce their environmental impact (Greensprings
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