Britons fail to plan their own funerals
Britons are showing interest in eco friendly burials, but fail to plan ahead for their funerals, according to a study on Friday.
About 70 percent admitted they should plan their funerals to remove the burden from their loved ones, but fewer than one in 10 over 55s make any provision.
This figure rises to one in 20 for the population as a whole, the research by Mintel discovered.
In addition, people fail to make any financial arrangements, despite more than half the 850 adults questioned thinking they should pay for their own funerals in advance.
Only 3 percent of over 55s have pre paid, falling to 2 percent of the population as a whole.
Mintel expects to see a growth in pre planned funerals once the industry becomes more effective at marketing, and the issue becomes less of a taboo.
Most Britons would prefer cremation (54 percent) over burial (36 percent), the survey found, but they are becoming more aware of green options such as wicker or cardboard eco coffins.
About 64 percent like the idea of being buried in a woodland or meadow.
"This interest is encouraging a new breed of funeral providers who are innovative as well as sensitive," added Kay Child, senior market analyst at Mintel.
The funeral market in Britain was worth about 1.3 billion pounds last year, Mintel said, up almost 10 percent on 2005.
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