In many countries cremation is more popular than burial. That may save on grave plots, but it has other environmental impacts. In the UK, three-quarters of people that die are cremated - amounting to 414,000 people in 2010. A busy, well-managed crematorium uses about 35 cubic metres of natural gas to incinerate a body at close to 800℃, releasing some 400 kilograms of carbon dioxide. Then there's the toxic mercury from dental fillings: British crematoria produce 1.34 tonnes of mercury emissions a year, accounting for almost 16 per cent of the nation's total. Cutting this could make cremation altogether greener.
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