Easthampstead Park Cemetery and Crematorium environmental policy

Easthampstead Park Cemetery and Crematorium is committed to maintaining the highest levels of environmental protection across our operations.

Our buildings

As our awareness of our impact on the environment has developed so we have taken steps over the years to re-design and refurbish our existing buildings.

We've also designed new buildings such as the Wellington chapel to conserve energy and limit the impact of the building and its operations on the surrounding environment.

Substantial improvements in environmental sustainability have already been achieved through the upgrade of our cremation equipment to install mercury abatement systems, helping us remove mercury and polluting gases from our emissions.

Our crematorium operates within the guiding principles of an operating license issued by the council's licensing authority. This license states good practice guidance to help minimise the environmental impacts of the cremation process.

In addition, the roof of the main building is fitted with solar PV panels to help us generate renewable electricity and our internal lighting has been switched over to more energy efficient LED bulbs. We encourage as much natural daylight as possible within each of our chapels. We have also implemented combined heating and cooling units within our Wellington chapel design.

The grounds

Our cemetery grounds have matured in keeping with our local surroundings, placing particular emphasis on the landscape to make sure that our buildings blend into their environment.

We provide an atmosphere where families can grieve in peaceful surroundings and treasure the memory of their loved ones, amongst gardens, flowers and beauty.

Ultimately, we have tried to establish a setting for both funerals and private reflection. Green places of natural beauty where the bereaved can visit with a sense of peace and calm.

We promote our ‘Bluebell Wood’ as a wild life friendly area, limiting our grounds maintenance activities to one cut back per year. We have actively sited bug hotels and wood piles within this area to help encourage biodiversity and to allow wildlife to flourish and thrive. In addition we have built and installed a number of bird boxes throughout our grounds.

We take a responsible approach to the use of chemical based herbicides, pesticides and fungicides. We limit their use throughout the year to strike a balance between maintaining the appearance of our grounds and the management of weeds and protection from insects.

Our talented team of ground staff use re-chargeable battery powered vehicles to get around the site and also implement the use of battery powered tools wherever practicable. We also ‘employ’ a humane pest control officer named ‘Missy.’

Our amazing Green and Active volunteers help the grounds team recycle green waste. This includes recycling flower bouquets from our cemetery. 

We allow the scattering of cremated remains in our cemetery grounds but recognise they are harmful to the soil. We use a soil that, when mixed with cremated remains, neutralizes harmful elements. This soil also reintroduces specialized microbial culture. These bacteria, enzymes, and micro-organisms are crucial. They help convert cremated bone fragments into safe, usable nutrients. The nutrients benefit the surrounding plants, trees, and animal life.

Maintaining historic graveyards

We help maintain 2 closed cemeteries.

We treat each with the same high regard offering biodiverse habitats where history and heritage meet with local ecology and wildlife.

Contact information

Easthampstead Park Cemetery and Crematorium

Email: cem.crem@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

Phone: 01344 420314