In April 2003 the Cemetery Board of Jönköping, Sweden decided to submit a building-permit application to the local County Authority for a facility for ecological burial using cryogenic technology. Subsequently, Jönköping will become the first community in the world to offer ecological burial using such technology.
Shortly after Promessa's announcement presenting ecological burial in May 2001, Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak was contacted by Göran Rundqvist, Planning Engineer of the Church Board of Jönköping. The Parish of Jönköping was then about to upgrade its crematorium.
When the new environmentally-adapted technique was presented Göran Rundqvist, among others, was assigned by the Jönköping Cemetery Board and Funeral Representative to conduct a study on its workings and implications.
In conjunction with an all-day briefing in August of that same year with Promessa and representatives from the parishes of Jönköping, Borås, Malmö and Gothenburg, a consultative group was formed.
"The new technique is very appealing and we are definitely positive to acquiring the first facility here in Jönköping. Making changes to our crematorium would be like taking a step backward. We have had some meetings here in Jönköping and we examined our premises here in February. But we will probably have to build a new house considering he large amount of visitors we expect to come." says Göran Rundqvist.
"Now we are waiting for an offer on which to base further discussions, and I don't see any reason why we here in Jönköping shouldn't be the first to have such a facility. While the work is in progress we are informing the authorities concerned, that is the Departments of the Environment and Health and our County Administrative Board, on a continuous basis as well as any interested parties who call us."
Cemetery Director Lennart Angselius will also answer questions concerning ecologic funeral and the planned establishment in Jönköping.
When the consultative group met in December 2002, the Association of Parishes within the Church of Sweden took upon itself the task of monitoring and coordinating the contacts that need to be taken in this development of burial operations. Their new booklet, Who decides? What can you do yourself? addresses, among other things, ecological burial as an alternative and it is a good example of the Association of Parishes work.
Interest in ecological burial is considerable in Malmö, Sweden, too.
"We have participated in the meetings and informed the political officials of our Cemetery Board. Although this is entirely new to them, their attitude is positive and they have an expressed interest in this new technique." says Malte Sahlgren, Cemetery Director for the Church of Sweden.
Since May 2001 discussions about ecological burial have aroused the interest of several cemetery administrations, resulting in contacts with Promessa Organic.
Even international interest is considerable. Queries have been received from and discussions are taking place with interested parties in the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, Australia, China, South Africa and other countries.
