Alkaline hydrolysis It is promoted as a greener method of body disposal and involves the body placed in a chamber and treated in a water-borne process that takes from 6-20 hours. When broken down, the bones are removed, pulverised and given to the family, as they would be after cremation.
1) Cremation
Cremation is considered more environmentally friendly than burial because human remains are reduced to just a few pounds of ash in the process.
The leading eco-friendly cremation alternative is terramation (also known as human composting and natural organic reduction). Terramation uses plant matter to help natural decomposition turn the body into soil. During the process, heavy metals are removed from the soil.
Over the years, all that organic and toxic material breaks down, seeping into the underground water supply. If there are 7.4 billion people on Earth now and 15 times more already in the ground, that's a lot of environmentally damaging waste. Cremation isn't much better.
For those who want a green funeral, aquamation is an eco-friendly option, championed by green funeral providers as a better alternative to cremation or burial. In fact, aquamation has 1/10 the carbon footprint and uses 85% less energy than fire cremation.
Water Cremation, by Aquamation®, is a proudly Australian innovation and has become very sought after in the United States and Canada for its environmental benefits.
Water Cremation, by Aquamation® is available to families from Victoria, New South Wales, the ACT, Queensland, and South Australia.
Cremation or burial:
Cremation reduces the body to cremated remains in a matter of hours, while traditional burial follows a slow and natural decomposition process. Direct cremations are more cost effective than direct burials, as they do not require embalming.
Although coffins take up more ground space than cremated remains, burials are generally considered more environmentally friendly than cremations. This is because burials allow for natural processes to take effect and minimise the impact on the surrounding environment.
As our cemeteries are filling up and people are seeking a less environmentally damaging way to die, human composting is being considered by many as a simple alternative which speeds up the decomposition process in a controlled environment. It is not yet available in Australia.
Of all world religions, Islam is probably the most strongly opposed to cremation. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, there is little diversity of opinion about it. Cremation is considered by Islam to be an unclean practice.
As part of this service, a green burial in Australia is not only legal but also achievable with our trustworthy care. What is an Environmentally Sustainable Funeral? Here at Natural Grace, we are sustainable in all our practices, using environmentally and socially sustainable products throughout our service.
Conventional burial practices harm the environment: they involve hazardous chemicals, non-biodegradable materials, and cemeteries that are often ecologically barren due to herbicide and fertilizer use.
SEA BURIAL
Though some burials involve dropping an entire modified casket to the ocean floor, environmentally inclined businesses like New England Burials at Sea offer more eco-friendly (and affordable) options such as natural burial shrouds hand-sewn by New England sail makers.
Cremation uses far fewer resources than almost any other disposition option but it does have an environmental impact. Cremation requires the burning of fossil fuels, and some older cremation facilities can use significantly more energy compared to newer ones.
What's really returned to you is the person's skeleton. Once you burn off all the water, soft tissue, organs, skin, hair, cremation container/casket, etc., what you're left with is bone. When complete, the bones are allowed to cool to a temperature that they can be handled and are placed into a processing machine.
Cardboard coffins
They are made out of biodegradable cardboard and are lightweight and easy to transport. Cardboard coffins can be customised with eco-friendly paint and photographs, making them a unique and personal option. Cardboard coffins are considered the most economical biodegradable options.
Human ashes are like sand and they do not float. They will not dissolve in the water; instead, they will descend into the ocean until they hit the floor. Can we have a service or a mariner's farewell ceremony before we scatter ashes?
Coffins are tapered at the head and foot and are wide at the shoulders. Caskets are rectangular in shape and are usually constructed of better quality timbers and feature higher standards of workmanship.
Over the last several years, cremation has gained in popularity, surpassing burial as the most popular choice. That being said, however, several factors must be weighed when making the decision.
The Church still officially prefers the traditional interment of the deceased. Despite this preference, cremation is now permitted as long as it is not done to express a refusal to believe in the resurrection of the body.
What happens to the water in the Aquamation process? The water is returned to the ecosystem via the normal wastewater treatment facility, just as all funeral homes in the United States, Canada, and many other parts of the world do during the embalming process.
The Roman Catholic Church allows cremation of bodies as long as it is not done in denial of the beliefs in the sacredness of the human body or the resurrection of the dead. However, the Catholic Church in the United States does not approve of alkaline hydrolysis as a method of final disposition of human remains.
Many families hold a celebration of life or gathering when the loved one's remains are returned to the family's care. The process takes 6-8 hours, or 18-20 hours depending on the operating temperature of the equipment. The 6-8 hour process takes place at 300°F, and the 18-20 hour process takes places at 200°F.