Guidance

Crematoria technical guidance: Who it’s for and how to use it

Published 4 December 2025

This document is part of the crematoria technical guidance. There are 4 more documents that cover this topic.

Read all the documents to make sure you have the information you need.

This technical guidance applies to the whole of the UK. It is issued by the Secretary of State, the Welsh Ministers, the Scottish Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland (DAERA). 

This is issued as guidance in Scotland and as statutory guidance in:

• England and Wales under regulation 65(1) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 (EPR) 
• Northern Ireland under regulation 41(1) of the Pollution Prevention Control (Industrial Emissions) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2013 (PPC-NI)

The above regulations along with the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR-S) are referred to collectively as ‘the regulations’ in this guidance.

This guidance will be taken into account when determining any appeals against a decision made under this legislation. 

The cremation of human remains is an activity listed for regulation as follows in: 

• England and Wales: EPR, Schedule 1, Section 5.1, Part B, (b) 
• Scotland: EASR-S, Schedule 26, Part 3, Chapter 5, paragraph 58
• Northern Ireland: PPC-NI, Schedule 1, Section 5.1, Part C, (b) 

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, crematoria are regulated by the relevant local authority and in Scotland by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA). 

This technical guidance supersedes PG5/2(12), Statutory Guidance for Crematoria. 

The following AQ Notes are also superseded: 

• AQ1(05) 
• AQ9(06) 
• AQ12(05) 
• AQ19(07) 
• AQ23(05)

Types of cremators this guidance applies to 

This guidance applies to the cremation of human remains in: 

• new cremators 
• existing gas fired and electric fired cremators, with or without the abatement of emissions to air 
• standby cremators 
• temporary cremators 
• small-scale cremators 

Abatement in this context means flue gas treatment.

Activities and techniques this guidance does not apply to 

The following activities and techniques are not in the scope of the guidance: 

• spreading of the ashes (remains) 
• (alkaline) hydrolysis 
• burials and composting techniques 
• open pyres
• animal cremation 

All the above are outside the scope of the regulated activity “the cremation of human remains” as described in the regulations listed above.  

In the case of alkaline hydrolysis, this is a relatively new technique that does not have emissions to air and therefore does not come within scope of Part B regulation. 

The disposal of spent reagent from flue gas treatment equipment, waste dust ash processing and recovered medical implants is not in scope of the guidance as this is covered by other waste regulation. 

Role of the operator 

Local authority as both operator and regulator 

In circumstances, where the local authority is both the operator and regulator of a crematoria, it must have robust processes in place to ensure that the regulatory function is separate from and independent of the operational function.  

Local authorities must carry out their regulatory duties in the same fair, consistent and transparent manner as for any operator of any other permit. 

Remote operating  

The regulations state that the operator is the legal entity who has control over the operation of the regulated facility.  

The following 5 tests are generally used by national regulators (such as the Environment Agency in England) to help determine who should be the operator, thereby the permit holder, in cases where this may not be clear cut. Typically, the operator will:

• have day-to-day control of the facility or activity, including the manner and rate of operation 
• make sure that permit conditions are complied with 
• have managerial responsibility over staff and ensure staff competency 
• make investment and financial decisions that affect the facility’s performance or how the activity is carried out 
• make sure the activities are controlled in an emergency 

Since the publication of the previous guidance in 2012, there has been an increasing trend to more detailed remote monitoring by the equipment provider and in some instances, the ability to control remotely some aspects of the cremation process. This has the potential to improve operational control, diagnose and correct problems before they lead to performance issues. 

Whilst it is unlikely that the scale and extent of external monitoring by the equipment provider is sufficient to make them the operator, regulators may want to keep this under review.

Delegated activities 

The owner of the permit is ultimately responsible for compliance with the permit. This is regardless of whether any activities at the installation are delegated to second and third parties. 

In any event, if an offence committed by the operator is due to the act or default of some other person, that other person may also be guilty of the offence and can be proceeded against by the regulator, whether or not proceedings for the offence are taken against the operator.

Using this guidance 

This guidance describes what are considered the best available techniques (BAT) for the activities within its scope.  

This guidance also, where appropriate, gives details of any mandatory requirements affecting emissions to air, such as those contained in other regulations or in directions from the government.  

In the case of this guidance this includes the: 

• Environmental Protection (England) (Crematoria Mercury Emissions Burden Sharing Certificate) Direction 2010 which came into force on 18 March 2010 
• Environmental Protection (Crematoria Mercury Emissions) (Wales) Direction 2010 which came into force on 19 April 2010 

However, arising from the changes in this guidance, these directions will cease to have effect from: 

• 1 month from publication for new and replacement cremators  
• 4 years from publication for all cremators 

There are no directions in force for Scotland or Northern Ireland. 

Unless otherwise stated, the provisions of this guidance are generally applicable. 

The techniques in this guidance are neither prescriptive nor exhaustive. Other techniques may be used as long as they ensure at least an equivalent level of environmental protection. 

The related guidance document on emissions limits, monitoring and other provisions sets out emission limit values and other matters that should be considered for inclusion in environmental permits. 

However, in each case the regulator may need to consider variable factors such as the configuration, size and other individual characteristics of the crematoria, as well as the locality (such as its proximity to particularly sensitive receptors). 

After assessing BAT and the environmental impact of emissions to air, permit conditions, including emission limit values, may need to be tighter than those set out in this guidance. In individual cases, it may be justified to: 

• include additional conditions 
• include different conditions 
• not include conditions relating to some of the matters indicated

Permit reviews and timetable for compliance 

For new crematoria, the permit shall have regard to the full standards of this guidance from the first day of its operation following the completion of commissioning. 

Replacement cremators, other than temporary cremators, shall be designed to meet the standards specified for new crematoria. 

For substantially changed crematoria, such as replacement of the main cremation unit, or retrofit of flue gas treatment to an unabated cremator, the permit shall have regard to the full standards of this guidance with respect to the parts of the crematoria that have been substantially changed and any part of the crematoria affected by the change, from the first day of operation following the completion of commissioning. Renewing or replacing the refractory lining of the cremator is not a substantial change. 

All crematoria permits shall be reviewed no later than within 2 years of publication of the new guidance or earlier where new, replacement or temporary cremators are installed, or where cremators are substantially changed. 

In circumstances where the crematoria remains operational during improvement works, the use of standby or temporary cremators may need to form part of the project plan. The need to vary permit conditions to maintain compliance with the relevant performance standards through all the changes in operation should form part of the project plan. 

This guidance contains all the provisions from previous editions which have not been amended or removed. For existing crematoria, the regulator should have already issued or varied the permit having regard to the previous editions of this guidance. 

If regulators have not done so, this should be done as soon as possible, without waiting until 31 December 2025, as part of the next permit review. 

Where provisions in the preceding guidance have been deleted or relaxed, permits should be varied as necessary as part of the next permit review.  

Installing flue gas treatment (mercury abatement)  

Unless meeting one of the exemption criteria listed below, from: 

• 1 month from publication all new and replacement cremators will be fitted with flue gas treatment that includes mercury abatement 
• 4 years from publication all cremators will be fitted with flue gas treatment that includes mercury abatement - otherwise, their operation will be limited to 100 hours per calendar year 

Flue gas treatment will not be required in the following limited circumstances: 

• standby cremators, whose operation will be limited to 100 hours in any calendar year 
• where, temporary cremators replace an unabated cremator, their operation will be limited to a maximum of one calendar year 
• small-scale cremators, such as cremators designed and built for infants and foetal remains 
• exceptionally, for existing cremators, where the retrofitting of flue gas treatment is not technically possible due to limitations of space combined with the inability to expand, because development is restricted due to it being a listed building or building an extension would require exhumation 

Exemptions  

Where there are technical or logistical problems that might delay completing the retrofit or replacement of an unabated cremator until after 4 years from publication, operators must raise these problems with their regulator as soon as they become known. Regulators may grant a short delay where these problems are outside the control of the operator. 

Operators of existing cremators intending not to fit flue gas treatment, due to limitations of space combined with the inability to expand, will be required to present evidence that this is not technically possible for assessment by their regulator.  

All such crematoria will also be required to carry out an assessment of the impact of emissions to air on local air quality for approval by their regulator. 

Where the regulator is satisfied on both counts, the regulator may allow a derogation from the need to fit flue gas treatment for up to 6 years, after which the situation will be reassessed. A condition on reapplication will be included in the permit. 

Where the regulator is not satisfied on either count, the regulator may restrict operations or even revoke the permit as necessary.  

Burden sharing arrangement 

Burden sharing arrangements are a cost-sharing mechanism so that crematoria with flue gas treatment (mercury abatement) installed are not at a financial disadvantage to those that do not.   

Crematoria with mercury abatement do not have to participate in burden sharing arrangements. 

For existing unabated cremators, the requirement to participate in a burden sharing arrangement will remain in place until 31 December 2027, with a final report made to the regulator no later than 1 April 2028. 

For unabated cremators, the options are: 

• membership of the Crematoria Abatement of Mercury Emissions Organisation (CAMEO) scheme - the current performance of the CAMEO scheme is around 70% of cremations carried out in equipment fitted with mercury abatement 
• forming a different cluster – the percentage of cremations carried out by the cluster in equipment fitted with mercury abatement shall exceed 50% 

The method by which the crematoria comply with the burden sharing requirements should be set out in the permit through appropriate permit conditions, as follows: 

‘The operator shall send the regulator, by no later than 1 April each year, a certificate from the Crematoria Abatement of Mercury Emissions Organisation (CAMEO) or appropriate evidence from a comparable audited burden sharing arrangement or scheme which specifies for the past calendar year: 

a) the total number of cremations 

b) the number of cremations undertaken in cremators fitted with operational mercury abatement equipment; or 

c) the number of cremations undertaken and the proportion of those subject to burden sharing arrangements; or 

d) in cases where mercury abatement is fitted but fewer than 50% of cremations at the installation were undertaken in cremators fitted with it, the relevant information in both b) and c).’ 

Arrangements for cost sharing in the CAMEO or any alternate burden sharing scheme do not form part of the permit conditions.

This document is part of the crematoria technical guidance.

Next: Crematoria: process, types of fuels and flue gas treatment