News Maidstone Crematorium donates £14,000 to Parkinson’s
The Maidstone branch of Parkinson's UK have been given a £14,000 donation thanks to Maidstone Borough Council’s (MBC) Crematorium Metal Recycling Scheme.
The money has been raised by retrieving metals from cremations. The team at the Vinters Park Crematorium first gain written consent from bereaved families, then following a cremation any metals from knees and hips retrieved are stored safely and collected quarterly. They are then taken to a specialist company called OrthoMetals in Sheffield for separation, sorting and smelting. A high percentage of the higher-grade cobalt steel is sent to two companies that manufacture new orthopaedic implants. Any lower graded metal is traditionally recycled.
Lawrence Hallewell, Branch Fund Raiser from the Parkinson’s branch in Maidstone said:
“I still can’t quite believe the generous donation to our local branch of Parkinson’s UK. It will make such a difference. We support local members, their families and carers with activities and events aimed at improving the quality of life for those living with Parkinson’s. This money will go towards the costs of our numerous activities, thank you so much.”
Cllr Patrik Garten, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services at Maidstone Borough Council said:
“We are so grateful for the generosity of bereaved families who make the difficult decision to consent to orthopaedic implants such as knee and hip replacement joints being removed from the ashes. We really can’t thank them enough; it is heartwarming to know so many local charities have been helped through this scheme.”
The scheme is run by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) https://iccm-uk.com/iccm/?pagename=recyclingmetal. Since joining in 2013 the Council has donated £161,076.00 to bereavement related charities. The donations started out as £5,000 and have steadily grown.
MBC joined the scheme in 2012, prior to this, implants from loved ones used to be stored at the crematorium until there was a sufficient amount and would then be buried within the Gardens of Remembrance.
As this method of disposal has become less acceptable and like many other crematoriums in the UK and the continent, any metal residue found will be recycled unless the family wish to make alternative arrangements.
The metals used for implants are special medical grade stainless steel, titanium and cobalt chrome, which are all produced from non-renewable resources. In the future, these resources will become depleted and such metals will become less available for operations. Therefore, this recycling scheme helps to protect the environment as well as saving resources and providing potential benefits for the living.