Aquamation – sometimes called water cremation, flameless cremation, or alkaline hydrolysis – is legal as a human funerary process in four Canadian provinces and one territory with legislation being considered or requested by public lobby efforts in some provinces.
Can you be cremated with water?
About aqua cremation
Also known as water cremation, biocremation or flameless cremation—or by its formal name, alkaline hydrolysis—the process of aqua cremation uses water instead of fire to break down the body.
How much does aquamation cost in Canada?
between $500 and $3,000
The average price of flame cremation in Canada ranges from less than $1,000 to about $5,000, and aquamation can cost between $500 and $3,000.
What is cremation with water called?
Alkaline hydrolysis is sometimes referred to as AH, flameless cremation, water cremation, green cremation, chemical cremation, liquid cremation, aquamation, biocremation™, or Resomation™.
Are there ashes in water cremation?
With water cremation, you still receive the “ashes” of your loved one so you can retain these memorialization options. (“Ashes” resulting from either fire or water cremation are actually composed of remaining bone which is placed in an urn and returned to the family.)
What happens to your bones after water cremation?
The heat, pressure and solution work together to break down the body, leaving only the bones. The body slowly dissolves, and the bones, once removed from the chamber, crushed into ash and returned to the family just like in a traditional cremation.
What happens to the body after aquamation?
At the end of the process, all material is broken down to the smallest building blocks; there is no DNA or RNA remaining. The sterile process water is released for recycling (our bodies are approximately 65% water to begin with), and the vessel performs a fresh water rinse for the equipment and remains.
How long does aquamation last?
Aquamation Takes Longer than Cremation
The aquamation process may last six to eight hours or as long as 18 to 20 hours, depending upon the amount of heat that is used in the process.
Which is cheaper cremation or aquamation?
On average, aquamation is slightly more expensive than traditional cremation because of the expense of the machines used. Typically water cremation costs between $2,000-3,000 while flame cremation costs around $1,100-2,000.
Does the Catholic Church allow aquamation?
Religious views
However, the Catholic Church in the United States does not approve of alkaline hydrolysis as a method of final disposition of human remains.
Is water cremation better?
Because a flame is not used, alkaline hydrolysis uses around 90% less natural gas; it saves more than 66% electricity; it reduces more than 90% of carbon dioxide emissions that can be released during a flame cremation; it has 1/10th the carbon footprint of traditional cremation; and it is 100% mercury-free.
How long does water cremation take?
around 4 hours
Water Cremation takes around 4 hours to complete. Water Cremation is a gentle, simple process of decomposition that resembles what would typically happen with burial underground — except faster. A body placed underground in a casket can take over 12 years to decompose into a skeleton.
Can humans be Aquamated?
Clay-Barnette Aquamation
We are also proud to be the FIRST complete Aquamation facility in the U.S, offering both human and pet Aquamation. Aquamation—sometimes called alkaline hydrolysis —is a gentle, environmentally friendly alternative to fire cremation.
Why do people throw their ashes in the water?
Scattering ashes at sea has become more and more popular among families of the deceased. This type of ceremony is considered by many to be much more natural and soothing for your loved ones versus traditional, terrestrial burials.
Why do people dump ashes in water?
The most obvious symbolic meaning represented by scattering ashes is letting go. As you release the ashes into the water or over the earth, you are literally letting go of your loved one. This can be an important step in your grieving process.
Why can’t you spread ashes in the ocean?
Only biodegradable urns may be used. Anything placed in the water must easily decompose in a marine environment. You can release flowers or wreaths into the water, but they must decompose easily.
Does water cremation smell?
Water cremation smells better.
Once cremation is complete, the remains have a clean and earthy smell. However, with flame cremation we must be very careful to run our exhaust fan both during cremation and for several hours after a cremation is complete in order to mitigate unpleasant smell.
Are teeth left after cremation?
What happens to teeth during cremation? Any teeth that do not burn during the process are ground down with bone fragments during the processing of the ashes. If the deceased had gold teeth, the family can decide if they wish to have these removed before cremation.
How long does human aquamation take?
The aquamation process takes anywhere between 6-8 hours or 18-20 hours. Timing ultimately depends on the operating temperature of the equipment that is being used. The process takes place at approximately 200-300°F or 150°C.
What does an aquamation cost?
The Alkaline Hydrolysis process is more expensive than fire cremation but cheaper than burial. The average cost for Alkaline Hydrolysis is around $3,500, while the average cost for traditional burial is around $9,000, and the average cost for cremation is around $1,500.
Does aquamation dissolve bone?
The process biochemically hydrolyzes the body, leaving only dust and bone fragments. During the usual aquamation cycle, the body dissolves, bone fragments are flushed out, and the residual by-product is sterile liquid.