INVESTIGATION
It's a little-known business, but it's disturbing. While today, the body of more than one in three French is cremated after his death, a figure constantly rising, companies specialize in the "recycling" of metals left after cremation. An amazing activity that many associations deplore, calling for more ethics in the sector.
Thus, every year, gold teeth, titanium hip prostheses, or orthopedic iron pins or plates represent a market of more than 100 tons, ie several million euros on resale. All in total opacity, regrets Michel Kawnik, president of the French Funeral Information Association, interviewed by Europe 1 and according to which "there is no transparency on the recycling of metals by crematoriums".
"The idea is not to hide anything," say the funeral service companies
Recalling that cremation is part of a public service mission, Michel Kawnik calls for more regulation. "What's the point of this income, we do not know, so there has to be a follow-up to help families make cremations cheaper than they are now," he says.
For their part, the funeral service companies ensure that this is already the case and defend themselves from any abuse. The two leaders of the sector, Funécap and PFG, for example each have their own foundation to which this money is donated, says Richard Féret, director of the Confederation of Funeral and Marble Professionals. "The idea is not to hide anything," he says at the microphone of Europe 1. "It is necessary to sensitize the community in its role of control of manager of the crematorium", he says again, before to call for the creation of an ethics committee within each crematorium to ensure that silver related to salvaged metals is well used.