Lahti crematorium recycles metal from deceased and coffins, donating over €135,000 to disaster relief

The Lahti Parish Union has collected more than €135,000 from recycling metal recovered during cremations, directing the funds to disaster relief efforts through the Church’s Foreign Aid disaster fund, Yle reports.

During the cremation process at Levo Crematorium in Lahti, metal fragments—ranging from artificial joints to coffin screws—are separated using a powerful magnet. The procedure yields several kilograms of recyclable metal daily, generating annual revenues of around €25,000.

Five years ago, the church council decided to allocate these recycling proceeds to humanitarian work, selecting the disaster fund as a widely accepted cause. According to Mari Aartolahti, head of burial services for the Lahti Parish Union, the choice was deliberate: “The use of these funds matters to the families of the deceased, so the purpose must be broadly acceptable.”

While the current funds support disaster relief, the council is now considering alternative uses, such as maintaining war veteran gravesites. However, any new allocation must respect the diverse beliefs of the deceased, as the origin of individual metal pieces cannot be traced.

“We can’t determine which metal came from which person or coffin,” Aartolahti explained. “The purpose must be something almost everyone can accept.”

Since 2020, over €135,000 from metal recycling has been donated to the disaster fund, with annual contributions averaging €25,000.