In some funeral parlors, physical casket showrooms could die out and move to a virtual realm — the space instead used for “water cremation” machines that break down a human body into bone fragments and liquid effluent. Cremation rates are rising in Connecticut and across the nation as fewe r people choose run-of-the-mill embalming and casket burials, and as alternative methods — like water cremation, human composting and green burials — gain popularity. Many in Connecticut are embracing these changes. “Funeral service providers … really embrace these alternative forms of disposition and [embrace] elaborating on what the definition of traditional funeral service is,” said Jesse Gomes, a licensed funeral director and embalmer in Connecticut. “We think it’s great.” Gomes, the executive director of the Connecticut Association of Funeral Directors and Goodwin University’s funeral service mortuary program director, said the industry could see changes — like moving casket showrooms online to make space for other operations. Officials estimate that more than 67% of those who died in Connecticut last year were cremated — the highest rate the state has seen. But that “cremation” category includes some alternative methods, like alkaline hydrolysis or human composting — the sped-up decomposition process that turns a human body into approximately one cubic yard of soil in approximately three to four weeks . “By numbers, yes, cremation is on the rise, and it is rising,” Gomes said. “But that doesn’t mean traditional funeral service and service in general, with funerals and memorialization, is on a decline.” Why are more people electing for cremation? There are only a few categories to select on a person’s death certificate in Connecticut, including burial, entombment, donation and cremation. Gomes said death certificates do not account for newer disposition methods. “Right now, cremation gets the big check mark … which I think is increasing those data more than really what cremation is,” Gomes said. While these alternative processes may be pushing up the cremation rate, conventional cremations are still much more popular than they were a decade ago. Dan Ford, the president of the National Funeral Directors Association, said comfortability is at the root of this shift. “The general consensus is that people are becoming more comfortable with cremation, meaning it’s more understood as far as a practice,” said Ford, a Connecticut native who owns funeral homes in Waterbury, Naugatuck and Cheshire. “People weren’t aware for the longest time that you could have traditional type services in conjunction with cremation.” In his own family, when Ford’s mother-in-law died, she indicated she didn’t want services. She just wanted to be cremated. “I watched that be an emotional cloud over our family, until we finally elected to have a private service … as well as a committal,” Ford said. “It wasn’t until we did that that I saw that cloud lift, the proverbial cloud just lift.” Ford’s mother-in-law lived with his family. While nothing ever goes “back to being normal” after losing someone so close, Ford said that often, formal memorials or services help those in their grieving processes, regardless of final disposition method. But cremation rates also are tied to costs — the prices associated with funerals have increased in recent years. Ford doesn’t believe this is a significant factor in cremation rate increases but said it does play some role. “Back in the day, it was a thought process that [cremation] might be just for those that can’t afford to have traditional funeral,” Ford said. “And that’s not necessarily the case anymore. It’s not necessarily about money.” An eternal reef is lowered into the Chesapeake Bay from a crane during a memorial service, Thursday, Oct. 9,2008, in Middle River, Md. The burial service is one of a growing number of funeral alternatives. Cremated remains are mixed into concrete used to make so-called reef balls that it places at sites along the East Coast, a service marketed as an environmentally friendly and less-expensive alternative to traditional burials. (AP Photo/Gail Burton) Cost and the environment Green burials, which return the body to the earth without a casket or embalming, can be cheaper than a conventional burial. Many in Connecticut opt for these, but often, the choice is made for environmental reasons. When a body is embalmed, the blood is drained and the organs are removed. The organs are replaced with a chemical solution, primarily of formaldehyde and other chemicals. But over time, these chemicals leak out of the body and seep into the ground. They can be toxic to human health and to the environment; formaldehyde is a carcinogen. Jennifer Benson is the sexton of the Hanover Cemetery in Sprague. The cemetery added a green burial plot in their property when plot purchases were down. “Plots weren’t being purchased in that part of the cemetery as rapidly as we would have liked,” Benson said. “[After] discussing green burial, we decided to entertain it, and it took right off.” The green burial plots are typically mowed just once a year to be truly eco-friendly. Family and friends can come to the space and plant wildflowers, but for the most part, the space is overtaken by nature. Data from the NFDA found that funeral costs are higher for those who choose to be buried versus cremated. From 2014 to 2023, costs associated with burials have increased more than costs associated with cremations. But the difference is not a deciding factor for every family, at least in Connecticut. Ford said families only occasionally choose cremation for financial reasons. “They may find that the difference is not as drastic as what they would think, and therefore that may help them make a decision,” Ford said. The future of funerals Last February, Ford and a friend in the business decided to merge their funeral homes in Naugatuck. Consolidation, he said, is the future for the funeral service industry. “There used to be countless number of funeral homes. It’s the mindset now where you’ll see more and more consolidation,” Ford said. “It just makes sense to combine overhead so that we don’t have these drastic numbers that are passed on to families.” Funeral homes are compensated for what services they provide and not necessarily what products someone purchases, Ford said, and with the costs of mortgages, payments and taxes, it makes sense to consolidate locations. As of 2023, there were 201 funeral homes in the state and more than 1,000 funeral service employees. Consolidation also encompasses other aspects of the business, like limousine stock, since fewer people are opting for burials. Even though cremations have risen steadily in the past decade, the actual number of crematories in the state increased by only three, from 19 in 2015 to 21 in 2025. All three additional crematories were added in 2019. But as cremations continue to rise, Ford said, it is possible more crematories will either be opened or expand their operations and operating hours to accommodate the demand. As for next-generation funeral directors, Gomes also runs the moratorium science program at Goodwin University, as well as the human anatomy laboratory and anatomical give program for Quinnipiac University’s school of medicine. He said many people transition to funeral directing from law enforcement or medicine as “second career” funeral directors. “Very few students in funeral service are right out of high school. They have some years between high school, they have some college, they have some other degrees, they have a whole other profession,” Gomes said. “That’s what we’re seeing, which tells me that there’s a lot more interest in funeral service than there was five or 10 years ago.” The employment of funeral service workers is expected to grow 4% from 2023 to 2033, according to the NFDA, and around 5,800 openings will be expected annually. Much of the workforce is at retirement age, so Gomes is hoping there will be young people entering the field. Legislation and final disposition services While it is one of the more popular alternative final disposition services, human composting, or terramation, is illegal in Connecticut. The practice, which just speeds up the decomposition process and elicits about one cubic yard of soil or dirt as the human remains, is legalized in 13 states. Legislation has been proposed in recent years to legalize the practice in Connecticut. But for now, people who opt for terramation have to be transported to a different state to undergo the process. Gomes said many terramation facilities are in the Pacific Northwest. One is under construction in Minnesota. Legislation concerning terramation was introduced during the 2025 session. At the time, the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association opposed the legislation, pushing for more regulatory language in the bill. The association supports the legalization of the practice in Connecticut. “It’s not that the association was pushing against this,” Gomes said. “It was just how it was being proposed. I think this last time, there was some confusion on the legalities of it.” The testimony from CFDA recommended requiring a license for any facility that performs natural organic reduction, which would subject the facility to annual inspections and renewals by the Department of Public Health. The organization also recommended allowing funeral homes to become licensed terramation operating facilities, as long as staff is trained and certified. However, other testimony dealt with the actual act of human composting. Some called the process a “biohazard,” and some said the practice violates religious beliefs and the sanctity of the human body. Legislation on terramation has been introduced every session since 2023, but so far, no legislation has been introduced this year. But Gomes said even if it doesn’t make it to the table this year, discussion and legislation surrounding the practice is “not going away.” “I do certainly think we’re going to see that again,” Gomes said. “And I think we’re going to see it all for the better in a very fine, precise legislation proposal.” Norwich, seen from the Oak Street Cemetery on April 16, 2025. Credit: Shahrzad Rasekh / CT Mirror ...read more read less