aquamation

We know it mostly, if we know it at all, as water cremation but this alternative name was brought to prominence by the funeral of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  He was an environmentalist so he asked for this style of cremation because it was friendly to the planet, used a lot less energy than a normal cremation, and reduced carbon emissions.

The process was devised in the 1990s to dispose of the carcasses of animals used in experiments.  The carcass is immersed in a strong potassium hydroxide solution at a heat of around 150 degrees Celsius for three to four hours.  Later on this method was used to dispose of cattle with mad cow disease. Still later it was used in medical schools to dispose of donated human cadavers.

The process of aquamation reduces a body by alkaline hydrolysis to a liquid with residual bones which are then dried in an oven until they become a white dust which is placed in an urn. 

 Perhaps Bishop Tutu’s choice will pave the way for more people to adopt this style of cremation.