Cremation is becoming more popular in the United States, with ashes either being buried or scattered in the sea or the mountains. The decision whether to be cremated may be personal, religious, or societal. A benefit of using cremation prior to a service is that the body need not be preserved and the service can be scheduled at a later time.

Because of the destructive nature of cremation, a death certificate signed by a medical examiner is required before it can take place. Some states require a time limit between death and cremation. If the body is not refrigerated prior to cremation, it must be embalmed. This can be handled directly with a crematorium or through a funeral home.

During cremation, a completely combustible coffin and the body are burned at a very high temperature. Unless otherwise requested by the family, only one body is allowed to be cremated at a time. The cremation of an average size adult results in approximately four to six pounds of ashes. Because bone fragments may be not be completely burned, ashes are processed after cremation and then returned to the family in an urn. The whole process takes several hours to complete. If the funeral ceremony is performed before the body is cremated, funeral homes will likely rent a formal casket for the ceremony.

There are concerns with the air pollution released during cremation. The primary concern with crematorium emissions is mercury released from dental fillings. Crematoriums are required to use what is referred to as the best available technology (BAT) to treat emissions, which includes directing releases through an air scrubber prior to release from a chimney. There are not, however, set air standards for crematoriums to meet.