09/03/2022
+++ 'Aquamations' (Water Cremations) Could Be On The Way To The UK +++
Scotland could become the first part of the UK to approve water based cremations as the Scottish Government is now looking into passing regulations what would allow the process to be introduced 'as soon as is practicable'.
Water cremations are expected to be both cheaper and greener than standard flame based cremations and could dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The process, known more commonly as 'aquamation', is said to cut the amount of harmful carbon dioxide.
According to UK-based equipment manufacturer Resomation, aquamation uses five times less energy than fire, and reduces a funeral's emissions of greenhouse gases by about 35%.
It involves heating the body in a mixture of potassium hydroxide and water for up to 90 minutes leaving only the bones.
These are then rinsed in the solution at 120C (248F), dried and pulverised into ashes.
Those remains are given to the family to keep or scatter, while the waste water from the process is disposed of into the sewage system or used to fertilise plants.
Interest in water cremations rose after Archbishop Desmond Tutu chose the eco-friendly process for his remains following his death on Boxing Day last year.
The Dean of St George’s Cathedral, the Very Reverend Michael Weeder, said Archbishop Tutu had ‘aspired to as an eco-warrior’.
Aquamations are understood to be greener than a traditional cremation as they emit fewer greenhouse gases.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said new methods for the disposal of bodies can be passed under the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act of 2016 and a decision on its introduction would include a 'full public consultation'.
