If you are looking for a green way to celebrate the life of a loved one or prepare for your own passing in an environmentally friendly way, cremation services in Clarksville, TN might be the answer. Make an informed decision on how best to make your cremation environmentally conscious.

A posthumous, non-traditional way to help the environment is through cremation. A lot of people never even think about burials’ environmental impact, but a few small changes to funerals and services can go a long way. Cremation has a lot of positive sides over traditional burials.

One of the main ones is environmental impact. Traditional, full-service burials have considerable negative impact on the environment. One big example is loss of habitat. A recent statistic from the Centre for National Burial states that 10 acres of cemetery holds almost 20,000 tons of vault concrete, 1000 tons of casket steal, and enough wood to build over 40 full-sized homes. All that material leaves little room for animal and plant life. Not to mention loss of land that could otherwise be used to grow food or build homes.

On the whole, thanks to modern advances, cremation is a greener choice. However, there are some downsides to cremation in terms of the environment. Standard crematoriums burn a lot of natural gas, and therefore release lots of greenhouse gases and chemical vapors that can harm the atmosphere. Also, to fully dehydrate a human body to bone and ash, a crematorium has to be fully heated to at least 1400 degrees Fahrenheit and maintain the heat for a minimum of 45 minutes. This process releases a lot of carbon dioxide and uses up a lot of fossil fuel. But, new technology and more fuel-efficient crematorium centers have greatly reduced these negative impacts.

There are ways you personally can make cremation even greener. Some of these include:

1. Recycle medical materials. Remove and recycle medical devices and parts, like pacemakers, before cremation. Burning said parts can release harmful gases and produce non-biodegradable ash.
2. Consider a biodegradable urn. Many people chose to bury their loved one’s ashes after cremation. While urns and ashes take up less space than a full-size grave, urns slow down the decay process and may negatively impact the surrounding earth. Choose a biodegradable urn to better protect the local ground.
3. Choose the casket carefully. Cremation providers generally require bodies to be in a rigid, consumable, and leak-proof casket for the cremation process. Burning these caskets can give off noxious gases and fumes, if you chose a bad one. When picking out your cremation casket, look for one made of non-toxic and renewable material. Wicker and cardboard are great options.

Be careful to remain aware of your options when it comes to Clarksville, TN cremation services so you can feel good about your choice in terms of the environment and celebrating your loved one. If you want more information, you can visit or call Sykes Funeral Home & Crematory.

You cared deeply for your lost military service member, and obviously want to memorialize him or her in a respectful but special way that is just as unique as he or she was and that honors his or her service. If you choose cremation services in Clarksville, TN for the deceased, then memorial jewelry might be what you’ve been looking for.

What is memorial jewelry? Memorial jewelry can come in many forms, from necklaces and rings to lockets, pendants and bracelets, but every form is a special reminder of the deceased. Most memorial jewelry is made through a similar process. Once a body is cremated, the family sends the remains to a jeweler. The remains, consisting of minerals like calcium phosphates, are combined with molten glass gold, silver, platinum or other materials using special encasement methods to mold the remains and the metals together. The goal is this molding is to display and protect the cremated remains.

If you’re considering memorial jewelry for your lost military service member, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

1. The Deceased – Keep in mind how the deceased would want to be memorialized. Think about his or her styles, preferences, and even interests for inspiration. How do you think you could best memorialize your lost loved one? How can you honor his or her service?
2. Material – Though you can have memorial jewelry in almost any material, you should think about how and how often you’re going to wear it, as some materials are more durable than others. For example, if you’re making a ring that you’re only going to wear on special occasions, resin is fine. However, if you want to wear the ring on a daily basis, you need a stronger material like silver.
3. Style – You should choose memorial jewelry in a style that you will actually wear. If you don’t like big pendants, maybe choose a small bracelet or locket. Be sure that you choose a style that fits your comfort level or consider a piece that is simple and timeless for the coming generations.

Since every person’s chemical makeup is slightly different, every piece of memorial jewelry will have a slightly different chemical reaction, resulting in different colors, shapes, and patterns. In other words, every piece of memorial jewelry will be just as unique as the person it’s made from. Families can also choose to include items like hair or dried flowers in the jewelry piece for even more uniqueness.

Memorial jewelry is just one of the many options you have to memorialize a lost loved one after a cremation. If memorial jewelry isn’t for you, you can always choose a more traditional method like a displaying the remains in a cremation urn, scattering them, burying them, or putting up a headstone.

Do you have more questions about memorial jewelry, military funeral services, or about Clarksville, TN cremation services in general? Sykes Funeral Home & Crematory is here to help. We have years of industry experience to put at your disposal and are ready to do whatever we can for you in your time of loss. Please give us a call for more information.