More and more Antwerpians are deciding to have their ashes scattered to the winds on the River Schelde when they are dead. The daily Gazet van Antwerpen discovered that the practice had been carried out 140 times last year and that’s twice as much as 5 years ago when the city authorities OKed this sort of funeral.
Undertakers across Flanders have noticed a decrease in the wish for a traditional funeral. “84% of Flemings wish to be cremated” says undertaker Benjamien Heiremans. “60% opt for an alternative location for their ashes to be scattered”.
The municipal ash delivery site “Memento Scaldis” is one of these alternatives. “It’s located on the De Gerlache Quay in southern Antwerp. It’s a platform on the quayside where a biological degradable urn is placed in a telescopic arm. In this way the urn can lowered into the waters of the River Schelde with or without the assistance of a ship” says Benjamien.
The location was created five years ago after more and more Antwerpians indicated they wanted their ashes scattered on the River Schelde. Scattering human ashes in public isn’t permitted without a licence.