Older Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment Baey Yam Keng stated on Tuesday ( Feb 6),” Since the first such service was opened in 2021, demand for interior dust scattering has gradually increased.”  ,
MP Carrie Tan ( PAP- Nee Soon ) questioned Mr. Baey in Parliament about whether Singapore had thought about innovative ways to handle the deceased’s remains and whether the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment ( MSE ) would direct funds to initiatives to alter Singaporeans ‘ attitudes toward after-death facilities.  ,
In order to give the general consumer more choices for handling burned remains, the Garden of Peace in Choa Chu Kang Cemetery was established as the first interior dust scattering facility in May 2021.  ,
At the garden, the general public may scatter their loved ones ‘ ashes into four lanes of ashes dispersion. In order to ensure that the ashes fall into the earth, households can then use watering cans that have been provided to water the area where they were scattered. At the conclusion of the day, sprinkler will even clean the remains into the ground.  ,
According to Mr. Baey’s response,” since its introduction, there has been an increase in demand for ( inland ash scattering ), with the number of applications steadily rising from about 900 in 2021 to about 2, 000 by 2023.”  ,
The figures are higher than what the National Environment Agency ( NEA ) released the previous year.  ,
The organization reported to the Straits Times in the middle of last year that the garden saw a 40 % increase from the time it opened, or roughly 150 applications per month.  ,
The Garden of Serenity, a second interior dust scattering center, is being built alongside the new Mandai Crematorium Complex and is scheduled to debut the following month.  ,
Annual deaths in Singapore are anticipated to rise from about 25, 000 to about 60, 000 by the 2060s due to the country’s quickly aging people, Mr. Baey noted.  ,
According to him,” The National Environment Agency ( NEA ) works closely with land use planning organizations like the Urban Redevelopment Authority to plan ahead for more after-death facilities like funeral parlors, wake halls and columbaria to ensure adequate capacity.”
For services, he said, did unavoidably become more commonplace in Singapore’s urban setting.
According to Mr. Baey,” by and large” Singaporeans recognize the need for such services, which are built in a way that considers and integrates with the neighborhood.
If their faith does not call for burial, the majority of grieving facilities may now choose to cremate their loved ones ‘ bodies, he said. Generally, embers from cremation are placed in areas.  ,
To give cremated remains more options, inland dust scattering was introduced in 2021. It costs less when compared to niche costs and requires less land than standard niches.  ,
Families can also place the ashes of departed loved ones at home or scatter them at sea in addition to ( inland ash scattering ) and niches. In order to reduce the amount of land needed and maximize land use, NEPA will continue to research ways to increase land usage and style at upcoming features, according to Mr. Baey.  ,
However, he continued, more can be done to increase the public’s understanding of after-death facilities, beginning with increasing awareness of end-of-life planning and post-diet issues.  ,
Similar to this, My Legacy@LifeSG, a one-stop shop for end-of-life plotting and post-death issues, was introduced in 2020. Singaporeans can use the site to manage the deceased’s assets, import death certificates, and plan a funeral.  ,
Mr. Baey also cited continued initiatives to involve the consumer in normalizing conversations about death and dying by collaborating with various stakeholders, including the Singapore Hospice Council.