The environmentally-friendly water cremations are already carried out in Ireland, Canada and the US and now they are coming to the UK
“Boil-in-the-bag” funerals are heading to the UK, it has been confirmed. Hydrolysis offers an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional cremations or burials.
Officially known as water cremation, they have been dubbed “boil-in-the-bag” funerals by some. Up until now they have been effectively banned in the UK, however they are widely used in Ireland, Canada and the US.
Now Scotland has today become the first part of the UK to introduce the method after regulations introduced by the Scottish Government, were approved by the Scottish Parliament. Announcing the move it said it would give an option for people interested in alternatives to burial or cremation for the first time in more than a century.
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “The choices people make about their remains prior to death are deeply personal, shaped by individual values, beliefs and the wishes of their families. Hydrolysis offers a new, environmentally friendly alternative to burial or cremation, responding to significant public support for greater choice, and it will be the first new option available for over 120 years.
“The process will be subject to the same assurances and regulatory requirements as existing methods, giving bereaved families confidence that their loved ones are treated with care, dignity and respect.”
Hydrolysis involves the body being wrapped in a silk or woollen shroud, or other biodegradable material, before being placed in a chamber with hot water and chemicals, speeding up decomposition. Remains can be returned to next of kin, similarly to ashes following cremation.
According to cremation.green the benefits include no use of fossil fuels, a reduction in carbon dioxide and, compared the a traditional burial, it is fast. It said using the burial method it takes up to 25 years for the human body to decompose while water-based cremation can take just two to three hours.
Already available across 30 US states, as well as Canada and South Africa, the first European water cremation facility, or resomation, opened its doors in early 2023 in Navan, Co Meath, Ireland. The first procedures in Scotland are expected to take place this summer once all necessary consents are in place.
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