Roselawn Cemetery and Crematorium, outside Belfast
Almost two tonnes of metal has been collected from the ashes of cremated bodies in Northern Ireland over the last four years as part of a recycling scheme, but bereaved families were not told, The Detail can reveal.
Precious metals including jewellery, gold teeth and fillings, as well as metal hips and nails from coffins are routinely collected from the site of Northern Ireland’s only crematorium in a process that began in 2010.
The materials are shipped to the Netherlands where a specialist company sorts the metals, with some being re-used in the construction of objects as diverse as road signs and aircraft engines.
Recycled material, it’s all relative.™
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…no brass necks?
In fairness, it can be recycled from the ashes now or fished out of the ground in 1000 years from the long rotted body. What diffrence doth it make?
Friends and family are alive and well today.
Fair point Clampers but if they were so worried about the remains of their loved one, surely they would have made arrangement beforehand if you know what I mean.
Except who wants to be that person asking for the metal bits back off Grannies hip or Grandad’s back molar gold?
If the person was buried, the families would have been untroubled about the fact there was metal going into the ground with them. As it is, a small amount was recovered and presumably untracable back to the original owners so it was recycled.
Personlly, I would love the idea that something that once a part of my dear departed Mother (who loved to travel) being part of a giant aircraft and I know she would get enormous joy out of the fact.
I like that last bit too, me personally :)
You saw what happened Fran with that kind of attitude.
Graves are typically sacrosanct to people.
Family might like to have jewellery returned, whatever about orthopedic pins or dentalwork.
Probably shouldn’t stick it in the furnace so.
Sure why wouldn’t you swipe the rings and jewelry as soon as you discover the body and before you ring the coroner! It’s no good getting back a half melted watch. I’m sure the cremation staff nick all that stuff anyway. Who’s to know? G-G-G-Ghosts?
Though presumably it’s not really jewellery anymore so much as a warped lumb of precious metal. Which I would have thought you’d consider before sending your loved one to be cremated.
The orthopaedic side will sky rocket over the next half century.
You’ve been waiting a long time for this headline.
A goodie though!
How beautiful upon the mountains are the teeth of them who preach.
Isaia 52:7
Isaiah even. Curses!
Cash for ash