England: Eco-Friendly Water Cremation
The UK's largest funeral service provider has announced that it will begin offering water cremation, also known as resomation, later this year.
In the United Kingdom, water-based burial will be offered for the first time this year, following increased demand for more environmentally friendly end-of-life options.
When someone dies, there are currently only two options available in most European countries – burial in the ground or traditional cremation.
But new options are being explored.
What is water cremation or resomation?
Water cremation, also known as aquamation, resomation, and alkaline hydrolysis, uses water to reduce the body back to its skeletal remains.
The body is placed in a steel vessel filled with water and an alkaline solution.
It is then heated, causing the flesh to break down into its chemical components – amino acids, peptides, sugars, and salts.
After approximately three to four hours, only the bones remain, which are then ground into a white powder, placed in an urn, and returned to the family.
The UK's largest funeral service provider, Co-op Funeralcare, has announced that it will introduce this process later this year. Water cremation was already legal in the United Kingdom, provided that health, safety, and environmental regulations were complied with, but this is the first time it will be made widely available in the country.
South African anti-apartheid hero Desmond Tutu chose this method following his death in 2021.
He wanted an environmentally friendly funeral, and according to the British company Resomation, it uses five times less energy than traditional cremation.
How does the funeral industry impact the environment?
«For decades, there were only two options when it came to end-of-life arrangements: burial and cremation», says Julian Atkinson, director of funeral company Kindly Earth.
«The growing concern for the environment and sustainability over the last decade, combined with the desire to be part of nature or to be laid to rest in a natural setting, means that more people are thinking about the environmental impact of their body after death», says Professor Douglas Davies from the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University.
Traditional burials also have negative environmental impacts. The chemicals used in embalming can leach out and contaminate the surrounding soil and waterways.
Which other countries offer water cremation?
The United Kingdom is not the only European country making waves in the funeral scene.
Ireland is set to open its first water cremation facility this year. The service is also available in the USA, Canada and South Africa.
Belgium and the Netherlands are among other European countries looking to introduce water cremation, but there are still some legal hurdles that must first be overcome. More on the topicClimate change.
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