It’s now legal in Scotland to offer aquamation funerals as an alternative to more traditional cremation or burial. Aquamation is also called water cremation, resomation or, more technically, alkaline hydrolysis. The process involves immersing the body in a strong alkaline solution in a pressurized container and heating to about 150C. So heat is still involved but it’s not burning in any real sense – it sounds a bit gruesome but the body is essentially dissolved apart from the bones, which can be pulverized (something that actually happens in ordinary cremations as well). Meaning that the family can still receive “ashes”.
This process is already legal in a number of countries including Ireland and famously South Africa. (Archbishop Tutu chose this method for his funeral.) But this is a new development for Scotland.
Proponents of aquamation say that it is more energy efficient, reduces emissions, and therefore offers an eco-friendly alternative to cremation. And of course, it doesn’t take up land in the way that cemeteries do.
But the fact of its now being legal doesn’t mean that it’s actually available here yet. Companies will have to invest in new equipment and premises. It will be interesting to see how this happens. Will existing crematoriums add this facility and offer it as an option? Will funeral directors install equipment at their premises? Will completely new “resomariums” spring up? And of course…. will it be cheaper?
These questions will have implications for funeral celebrants. If an existing crematorium adds a facility then as far as we’re concerned it may be business as usual with a funeral ceremony taking place in the chapel as always. But if new places are built to carry out these resomations, will they be modelled on crematoriums or might they be quite different and perhaps accelerate the trend to direct cremation? That trend means that any ceremony has to take place somewhere else – and this provides challenges and opportunities for celebrants.
I’m hoping to chat to some providers of resomation in other countries and I’d be really keen to hear from anyone who is thinking of developing it in Scotland – please do get in touch.