Latest news with #alkalinehydrolysis
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Bizarre ‘boil in a bag' funerals where bodies are LIQUIFIED & flushed down a drain could get the go-ahead in UK
"BOIL in a bag" funerals could be set to become available in the UK - as controversial method criticised as disrespectful. The alternative method, which is already available in other countries, works to dissolve bodies and flush them down the drain. 4 4 A consultation by the Law Commission is underway and could see the bizarre practice replacing traditional funerals which involve ground burials or flame-based cremation. There is currently no regulatory framework on the practice, meaning it is effectively banned in the UK - but the consultation could see this change. Advocates that support so-called water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis, claim that it is better for the environment. Skeptics that are opposed to the technique believe that it is a disrespectful way to treat the dead. Water cremation consists of using water and alkaline chemicals at a high temperature to rapidly decompose a corpse. The body is loaded into a pressure vessel containing the corrosive liquid, and is heated to around 160 degrees Celsius. This leaves liquid, known as 'effluent' which can be poured down the drain with other wastewater. It doesn't contain any tissue or DNA, and is described as a brown colour resembling "tea or an ale". The remaining bones can then be ground to ash for the bereaved loved ones to take home. These can then be scattered or kept in a similar way to traditional ashes from a flame-based cremation. Any metal hip and knee joints remain intact. One funeral home in Minnesota paid $750,000 (£580,000) to install the approximately six foot by four foot chamber a decade ago. It is a relatively easy process for undertakers who just push a few buttons to get the chamber to start filling with water. Despite having been patented in 1888, the process is yet to reach mainstream use. While some see the process as mirroring the baptism at the start of life, others view it as disrespectful. Critics have argued that it could be seen as a kind of desecration of the body, the majority of which is disposed as wastewater. Dr Lian Lundy, a wastewater specialist at Middlesex University told The Telegraph: "Some people view it as basically mixing up my loved one with poo in the sewer and they don't like that. "But there's a lot that goes into the sewer that we don't really think about – waste from mortuaries and hospitals and all sorts of things that we don't know about – so from that perspective, it's not really any different." 4 Co-op Funeralcare previously promised to offer the service in 2023 - but plans were delayed as they couldn't get through the regulatory framework. It is already available in nearly 30 states, in Canada, South Africa, and in Ireland - which became the first in Europe when it opened a facility in early 2023. Estimates suggest that the cost of water cremation will be similar to flame-based cremation, typically costing $1,500 to $5,000 in states where it is already legal. It could also provide a more environmentally-alternative to traditional methods. Flame-based cremation releases around 535 pounds of carbon dioxide in to the air while burials can pollute the surrounding soil.
SBS Australia
09-06-2025
- Health
- SBS Australia
Cremated with water. Buried at sea. There's more than fire and coffins in Australia
The first facility to offer water cremations in Tasmania opened in 2023. Source: SBS Some readers might find this content distressing. Inside a quiet Hobart warehouse, a woman's body is undergoing water cremation. For 10 to 12 hours, her body will lie inside a stainless steel chamber where a hot, alkaline solution (think the opposite of acidic) breaks down soft tissue – proteins, blood, and fat – until only bones and metal implants, if she has any, remain. The temperature is hot — 93C, but far less hot than a flame cremation, which reaches 800 to 1,000C. Colloquially, it's come to be known as a water cremation, but its technical term is alkaline hydrolysis. "It's a way of completely unmaking the chemical bonds that exist in the body," said Luke Cripps, co-director of the only facility in Tasmania offering the service. "There's usually about 20 to 30 per cent more remains when we complete a water cremation process than a flame cremation." As water streams continuously over the body, Cripps explains, it mimics what happens in a traditional burial — when rain filters down through the soil and the casket or coffin and slowly breaks a body down over time. "It's easy when we pop someone underground to go, 'That's gone now,'" he said. "But what happens beyond that point is alkaline hydrolysis. It just takes a really long time." This water crematorium in Tasmania was opened in 2023 by co-directors Brendan Cooper and Luke Cripps, who wanted to bring more choice to people. There are many reasons people choose this path. Firstly, it's undeniably more environmentally friendly, he says, explaining that there's "roughly a 90 per cent reduction in emissions" compared to flame cremation. The residual liquid, stripped of DNA and RNA but rich in salts and sugars, can be repurposed — used, he says, to help nourish overfarmed parts of Tasmania. But it's not only about science or sustainability. Again and again, families return to the same word when explaining their choice: gentle. The feeling, Cripps says, of a softer goodbye. "That's really the primary concern from all of the families that we work with. Are you somebody who's going to take care of the person that I love? And are you going to treat them gently? And there's an association for them with water that is gentle," he said. Water cremation is now regulated and available in Queensland, Victoria, NSW, Tasmania and South Australia. In Western Australia, it's available, but only for pets. Most Australians, around 70 per cent, choose cremation, according to researchers at the University of Melbourne. However, this figure probably includes a small percentage of water cremations, as the numbers are lumped together, says Professor Michael Arnold of the DeathTech research team at the university. In Australia, a growing number of people are choosing a natural burial, which is allowed in some Australian states. In designated parks, you can be laid to rest in a simple shroud or biodegradable clothing. No chemicals to embalm the body. No polished casket. Straight into the ground. Instead of a headstone, there's a communal marker that holds the names of everyone resting beneath the soil. In Kurweeton Cemetery in Victoria, people are being buried upright. Some Australians are exploring the idea of a "mushroom suit". The suit is embedded with mushroom spores and microbes that aid decomposition, neutralise toxins, and return nutrients to the soil. Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW include it on their list of eco-friendly options, but the suits are still rare and not widely available. Beyond that, some Australians are starting to ask: what about composting our bodies? It's not permitted here yet, but human composting — also called natural organic reduction — is already allowed in at least 10 US states, with more expected to follow soon. It's a process that turns a body into nutrient-rich soil, which some see as a way of giving back to the earth in death. Donating your body to science is another way some people choose to leave a legacy — helping researchers or teaching the next generation of health professionals. If your donation is accepted, universities or hospitals usually cover the cost of cremation afterwards, though not burial. It's worth knowing that your family might not get your remains back for several years — and in some cases, not at all — depending on the program. Each place has its own rules, so it's a good idea to look into the details ahead of time. Others are choosing a cardboard box, which is more cost-friendly and gives loved ones a place to write a message. One of the most notable studies on the environmental impacts of funeral practices, comparing water cremation, flame cremation and traditional burial, ranked them in that order from lowest environmental impact to highest impact. In Australia, burials at sea are legal but require a permit issued by the federal government, and only certain deep-water locations are approved. Connections to the ocean—like being a fisherman or surfer—can support a sea burial application, but they're not required. Scattering ashes at sea doesn't need a permit. The body, wrapped in a biodegradable shroud and weighted to sink, is released into open water. With the baby boomer generation about to take Australia into "peak death", as deathcare experts have been calling it, many in the industry have been calling for innovation. Currently, Australia's funeral industry is facing challenges on multiple fronts. Earlier this year, a 113-hectare site in Sydney's southwest opened to tackle the shortage of burial plots in Sydney's long-standing cemeteries, which are nearing capacity. Arnold from the DeathTech research team at the University of Melbourne, who says Melbourne is facing the same problem, says being buried itself is not a problem. "The question is: 'if you have not grown up and lived and have a connection to the community, do you want to travel? Do you want your family to drive all that distance to the new cemetery, over an hour in traffic in the car?'" Arnold told The Feed. "The challenge for the industry is meeting competing demands in the market." If you have not grown up and lived and have a connection to the community, do you want to travel? Do you want your family to drive all that distance to the new cemetery? Professor Michael Arnold, DeathTech research team at the University of Melbourne In 2019, burial costs were estimated at $9,055, compared to $11,039 in 2023. Cremations cost an estimated $6,334 in 2019, whereas the estimate for 2023 is $8,045. There are some perception issues when it comes to bringing in new methods of death care, Paola Magni, an associate professor of forensic science who studies decomposition at Perth's Murdoch University, told The Feed. "There is a problem with the word 'aqua cremation'. You think the water washes but not destroys — (but) there is nothing human left," she said. Even though what remains in the liquid after water cremation moves into tanks and is no longer recognisably human — a sterile mix reduced to things like amino acids and sugars — some mistakenly believe that a body is being "flushed" into the water system. Others worry about safety risks. Cripps from the water crematorium in Tasmania said the biggest hurdle to getting the facility running was proving that the liquid posed no risk. 'We had a really long time talking with the water regulator in Tasmania about making sure that we could establish that the water that comes out the other end of this process is safe, that it's non-toxic, that it's able to be treated,' he said. Arnold says the willingness to make a big leap and break from tradition, unsurprisingly, is hard to drive. "Safer for the family to do what the family's always done, safer for the funeral industry to do what they have always done," he says. "You only get one chance. It cannot go wrong. If something goes wrong at a funeral, the funeral director can't turn to everybody and say, 'okay, everybody. Come back tomorrow and we'll start again.'" But co-director of the water crematorium, Brendan Cooper, says he anticipates growing interest. "As awareness grows about water cremation as well as the environmental benefits of it, the sustainability of it and the gentle sort of nature of it, it will become more popular as opposed to the other options," he said. "And that's all it is — another option."
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
'Boil in a bag' funerals to become available in Britain after catching on around the world - here's how the controversial method works
Putting a loved one to rest in the UK typically involves either a ground burial or a flame-based cremation. But an alternative method could finally get the go-ahead. A new consultation into funerary methods by the independent Law Commission could finally result in legal approval of 'boil in a bag' funerals in the UK. At the moment, there is no regulatory framework for the method, officially known as water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis – effectively banning it from use in the country. Water cremation involves rapidly decomposing a corpse in water and alkaline chemicals under high temperatures, leaving only liquid and bones. The liquid, known as 'effluent', can go down the drain with other wastewater and bones that can be ground to ash for the bereaved owner to take home. Advocates say the method is better for the environment, but others believe it is an undignified way to dispose of the dead. Here's a look at how the controversial method works. What is water cremation? Water cremation uses water, alkaline chemicals, heat, and sometimes pressure and agitation, to accelerate natural decomposition, leaving bone fragments and a neutral liquid called effluent. The effluent is sterile, and contains salts, sugars, amino acids and peptides – but no tissue or DNA is left. This effluent is discharged with all other wastewater, while the softened bone can be ground up for the owner to take home and lay to rest, much like ashes – although any metal hip and knee joints come out unchanged. At the Bradshaw Celebration of Life Center in Minnesota, there's an alkaline hydrolysis machine located in the basement that cost $750,000 (£580,000) to install about a decade ago. Bodies go into the rectangular steel box, which is about six feet high and four feet wide and looks like part of a high security 'bank vault'. With just the press of a few buttons, the machine locks and starts to fill with water – and the 90-minute process can begin. By the end, all tissue has dissolved and is free from DNA – and is a brown colour that somewhat resembles 'tea or an ale'. What happens during a water cremation? The corpse is loaded into the machine, which then works out the amount of water and potassium hydroxide needed. The pressurised tank is filled with the alkaline solution. The tank is heated to 152C (305F). The remaining liquid is cooled in a separate tank and drained. The liquid (about 330 gallons) is washed down the drain. The bones are ground to powder and given to the family in an urn. According to one Wired journalist who visited a water cremation facility in California, the liquefied human body 'smells like steamed clams'. Any metal hip and knee joints come out unchanged, but otherwise all that's left is the bones, which now crumble and fall apart to the touch and can be easily ground down and scattered much like ashes, or kept. Water cremation is not new – the process was originally patented in 1888 – but only now is it becoming an option for the general public. Some see religious connotations in water cremation, echoing the use of water in baptism at the start of a life. Why is water cremation controversial? Critics argue that dissolving bodies and disposing of the resulting liquid down the sewers along with other wastewater lacks dignity. In certain religious and cultural communities, water cremation is barred due to its perceived desecration of the body. Dr Lian Lundy, a wastewater specialist at Middlesex University, said the biggest hurdle blocking it in the UK is social acceptability. Staff at the Bradshaw Celebration of Life Center operate the alkaline hydrolysis machine located in the basement 'Some people view it as basically mixing up my loved one with poo in the sewer and they don't like that,' she told the Telegraph. 'But there's a lot that goes into the sewer that we don't really think about – waste from mortuaries and hospitals and all sorts of things that we don't know about – so from that perspective, it's not really any different.' Where is water cremation available? Water cremation is already available to the general public in nearly 30 states in America and is also permitted in Canada and South Africa. Ireland opened its first water cremation facility in early 2023 – the first of its kind in Europe. But in the UK, regulatory hurdles are preventing the method from becoming available. When will water cremation come to the UK? Co-op Funeralcare, which arranges more than 93,000 funerals every year, revealed in 2023 it would start to offer the service for deceased Brits, but plans were delayed as it was 'unable to find a path through the current regulatory framework'. Co-op Funeralcare welcomed the consultation on new funerary methods, which could potentially see water cremations come to the UK by the end of the decade. A spokesman from Co-op Funeralcare said: 'At Co-op Funeralcare, we are committed to serving the needs of our member-owners and clients and offering the most sustainable and affordable services. 'In 2023, we announced our ambition to pilot Resomation in the UK, and we subsequently worked closely with the Government to explore the regulatory requirements to introduce this service across the nation. 'However, we did not proceed with this as, at the time, we were unable to find a path through the current regulatory framework. 'We welcome The Law Commission's review and encourage exploration into alternative methods that provide consumers with greater choice and deliver environmental benefits.' How much will water cremation be? While the cost for water cremations remains unclear, it's expected to be around the same prices as a traditional cremation – a few thousand pounds. In countries where water cremation is already legal, the price typically ranges from $1,500 (£1,180) to $5,000 (£3,950), depending on the provider and location, the Farewell Guide explains. 'In the UK, once the service becomes available, the cost of water cremation will likely be competitive with regular cremation prices,' it adds. At the Bradshaw Celebration of Life Center in Minnesota, it costs $3,395 (£2,500) for a 'basic cremation' and $4,995 (£3,680) for an additional memorial service. Why are water cremations better for the environment? Advocates describe the method as 'green cremation' as it's a more eco-friendly alternative to land burials (which can pollute the soil) and flame-based cremations. A traditional cremation using flames consumes fuel and releases large amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the air. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the average cremation produces about 535 pounds of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to driving a car about 600 miles. Land burials, meanwhile, pose the problem of the vessel containing the corpse taking years to decompose in the soil if it's made of metal or plastic. Even if the vessel is compostable, such as a pine box, the decomposing corpse doesn't usually have a healthy impact on the soil and can often stop grass and plants growing properly.
Telegraph
07-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Boil in the bag funerals could be given go-ahead
People could soon be able to choose to be boiled and flushed down the drain instead of cremated or buried. A consultation on funerary methods by the Law Commission is proposing legal approval of alkaline hydrolysis and human composting as new ways of disposing of people's bodies. Alkaline hydrolysis uses water, alkaline chemicals, heat and pressure to break down a body into liquid and pieces of bone, which can take between two and 18 hours. Bones and teeth survive the process and are ground into a powder to be returned to the family, while the rest of the body is broken down into liquid, which can be sent to the sewers. These funerals have been known as a water burial or resomation, but have colloquially been dubbed 'flushed away' and 'flush and bone' rituals. The Law Commission states the process is fundamentally different from burial and cremation and yet there is no clear regulatory approval of the process, effectively barring it from being used in Britain. People can choose a water burial in parts of Australia and Canada. A site in Navan, Ireland, is the first of its kind in Europe, which costs around €1,500 (£1,260). The Co-operative announced in 2023 it was hoping to bring water burials to British customers in what it called the 'biggest change to funerals in over 120 years'. But this endeavour failed as a result of regulatory hurdles that made it impossible under current laws. A spokesman from Co-op Funeralcare said: 'At Co-op Funeralcare, we are committed to serving the needs of our member-owners and clients and offering the most sustainable and affordable services. 'In 2023, we announced our ambition to pilot Resomation in the UK, and we subsequently worked closely with the Government to explore the regulatory requirements to introduce this service across the nation. However, we did not proceed with this as, at the time, we were unable to find a path through the current regulatory framework. 'We welcome The Law Commission's review and encourage exploration into alternative methods that provide consumers with greater choice and deliver environmental benefits.' 'Have a cup of granddad' There is currently 'no specific regulation of new funerary methods' in England and Wales. The consultation proposes that the law is changed to allow for new funeral methods to be approved and to define regulations. Criminal offences for improper use are also proposed. Alkaline hydrolysis was used as a funerary method for the bodies of five deceased people in 2019 as part of a specially authorised study into the process. Dr Lian Lundy, of Middlesex University, a wastewater specialist, conducted the analysis and says that it can take between four and 18 hours to complete, depending on various factors such as the concentration of chemicals and water temperature. Her analysis found that the water a body boils in is full of compounds that are safe to be put back into the wastewater supply. She said: 'We collected the wastewater and analysed it for the sort of parameters used for trade effluent and all the pollutants that we looked at fell well within the range of values they would accept. 'From a technical perspective, for the parameters we looked at, it wasn't an issue. 'It's a system that could be added to a church or added to any location. So it would potentially be a completely different model for disposing of the dead. She added: 'Yorkshire Water collected the samples using their methods and then they analysed them in their labs. I just got an Excel spreadsheet and analysed the data. 'From a water quality perspective, our study didn't indicate there were any issues with discharging to sewer. The biggest hurdle, Dr Lundy said, was social acceptability and not chemical or water safety. 'I think it's because it's a new process and people don't really understand it,' she said. 'And when it does get into the newspapers, it tends to be quite sensationalised, as in, 'flushing grandma down the toilet' and 'have a cup of granddad'. 'But there's a lot that goes into the sewer that we don't really think about – waste from mortuaries and hospitals and all sorts of things that we don't know about. So from that perspective, it's not really any different. 'Some people view it as basically mixing up my loved one with poo in the sewer and they don't like that. However, some people see returning to the water environment as being a gentler approach.'
RNZ News
05-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Environmentally friendly water cremation service to open in Christchurch
Resomation founder Sandy Sullivan and Water Cremation Aotearoa founder Deborah Richards, at the Kindly Earth facility near Durham in England. This facility is due to open at the end of 2023. Photo: Supplied/Deborah Richards New Zealand's first water crematorium is opening in Christchurch on Friday, giving people a new option for what happens to their body after they die. Water cremation, also called alkaline hydrolysis or resomation, was used in several countries as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional cremation . It involves a body being put into a tube containing 95 percent water and five percent alkaline, and heated up and pressurised for about four hours. The remains are then given back to the relatives, while the water is treated and put back into the water cycle. Christchurch Water Crematorium director Debbie Richards said it had been a long battle to get the process approved in New Zealand. "After working on this for more than seven years, we are thrilled to be able to offer water cremation as a far more environmentally sustainable end-of-life choice," she said. The project is a partnership between Water Cremation Aotearoa and funeral service provider Bell, Lamb and Trotter. Richards said the water cremation process produced no carbon emissions. "Anything not of the body - such as pacemakers and implants remain behind, clean and intact, and can be recycled. The bones that remain after the process is complete can be returned to the family as bones or white ash, it is their choice," she said. A single traditional flame cremation produced about 180 to 240kg of carbon emissions, Richards said. "I think that those people that want to tread more lightly and leave less of a footprint environmentally, and are concerned about carbon emission and want to do something about climate change, they will find this appealing," she said. "A lot of people perceive it as gentler than flame cremation as well so for those reasons I think people will definitely choose it." Richards said the water cremation service was being offered for $1350. "We're offering it just through Bell, Lamb and Trotter at the moment. It works out as a little bit cheaper than a flame cremation and one of the reasons for that is that there's no casket required. We can't put a casket inside a resomater, we can only put things that are protein based," she said. "We wrap a body in some beautiful New Zealand wool, we've got that from Wisewool up in Gisborne where they have the sheep and they make the beautiful blanketing that we wrap people in as a shroud." Bell, Lamb and Trotter managing director Andrew Bell said this new technology was a significant development for the funeral industry. "Bell, Lamb and Trotter was the first company in the country to introduce embalming in 1896 and then flame cremation became available in 1909 which is probably the last time something so noteworthy has happened in the funeral services sector," he said. Bell said with about 80 percent of the company's clients choosing cremation over burial, he believed water cremation would have wide appeal. Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger will formally open the water crematorium at Bell, Lamb and Trotter's St Asaph Street site on Friday. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
