Disposal
Disposal
Disposal is the term used in the funeral industry to describe what happens to a person’s body after death when it is finally dealt with by burial or cremation.
The word can sound clinical, particularly when used to describe a person who has died. In funeral practice, however, disposal has a specific legal and practical meaning: the final disposition of the body.
Burial or cremation. In Queensland, a body must be lawfully disposed of by burial or cremation, including an approved alternative form of cremation where applicable. Disposal is therefore not about discarding or getting rid of a person. It refers to the lawful process by which the body is finally cared for.
A legal term. Funeral professionals, cemeteries, crematoria and government authorities may use disposal because it is the terminology used in legislation, regulations and official processes. It can therefore appear in forms and documents even though families may prefer more personal language.
Not the same as the funeral. Disposal describes what happens to the body. A funeral or farewell is the ceremony or gathering that marks the person’s death and allows people to say goodbye. The two can happen together, but they do not have to.
For example, a family may have a funeral service followed by burial, or a funeral service followed by cremation. Alternatively, a person may be cremated without a funeral service through Direct Cremation, with the family choosing to hold a memorial or other farewell later.
A word families may not use. There is nothing wrong with finding the word uncomfortable. Disposal is primarily a technical and legal term rather than a description of the emotional meaning of what happens after someone dies. Families may naturally prefer words such as burial, cremation, final arrangements or caring for the person when speaking about their own circumstances.