Many of us are looking for ways to become more eco-conscious, whether we’re repurposing food scraps, changing to a plant-friendly diet or simply sticking to a strict recycling routine at home. However, this year, Brits will have the option to continue their plight to help the planet by opting into a water cremation, known as “resomation.”
According to the British company Resomation, which supplies the equipment for this procedure, this process will produce a third less greenhouse gas than cremation and uses a seventh of the energy needed for a traditional cremation.
What happens during a water cremation?
The process uses a mix of potassium hydroxide and water to break down human remains and it takes just four hours. Once the process is completed, the bones remain, and are powdered then returned to loved ones in an urn, just like the traditional receiving of ashes.
This process is already used in Canada, South Africa and many US states, according to the BBC but it’ll actually be the first alternative way to dispose of a body in the UK since 1902 when the Cremation Act was introduced.
Speaking to the BBC, Gill Stewart, managing director of Co-op Funeralcare, said that “land for burials is running out”, and that resomation could help the industry “improve its carbon reduction targets and meet the capacity challenges of a growing population.”
Additionally, on the Co-Op Funeralcare website, it’s stated that 17% of UK adults who have arranged a funeral in the last five years would have considered resomation for a loved one’s funeral, had the option been available.
The benefits of choosing resomation
It is believed that by using water in the process rather than flame, the environmental impact is reduced as the process releases no air emissions.
Professor Douglas Davies from the Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University, said: “The reduced carbon footprint that may come with Resomation compared with other forms of body disposal, means it will no doubt be of interest to many people as the practise is increasingly made available in the UK.”
Resomation will be available in the UK at the end of this year with Co-Op Funeralcare.