News Japanese cities to sell precious metals extracted from cremations

Bereaved families typically collect only a small portion of their loved one's cremated remains. The uncollected ashes may contain gold, silver, palladium and other precious metals from teeth, artificial joints and implanted medical devices. Despite some criticism, Tajimi has decided to proceed with its plan to extract and sell these precious metals from cremated human ashes. The decision was made following a survey conducted in February, which found that 95% of the 562 randomly selected citizens were either in favour of or somewhat in favour of the initiative. Tajimi will commission metal refiners to extract precious metals from uncollected ashes. The city will then auction off the extracted metals. The estimated sales revenue of 10 million JPY will be used to cover maintenance costs for the furnace and other equipment at the municipal crematorium.

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thomas said:

The city authorities in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture, have revealed a strategy to start recovering and commercializing valuable metals from human ashes beginning the upcoming fiscal year. This project, unveiled the previous month, aims to enhance the municipality's finances. Mayor Takayuki Takagi of Tajimi stated, "We aim to utilize available resources while remaining mindful of the grieving families."

Tajimi joins an expanding list of local governments undertaking comparable projects, with a few achieving yearly sales exceeding 200 million JPY (USD 1.28 million). While some local governments are reluctant to follow suit, citing moral concerns, a growing number of municipalities are following suit.

More cities to sell precious metals extracted from ashes of the dead | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

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