Cremation is catching fire as Americans look for low-cost, low-resource alternatives to burial. Cremation often costs half as much as traditional funerals – $4,000 instead of $8,000 – and does not require wood or land space. This combination is putting the heat on traditional funeral homes.

In theory, death care should be immune from short-term economic swings. Death is one of only two sure things in life, and the U.S. population is aging.