Death is inevitable and not a pleasant thing to consider. However, it’s us who has to decide what happens to our remains when we die. There are two major options that people usually opt for, firstly being a burial, i.e., the action or practice of burying a dead body. And other being cremation, i.e., the disposal of a dead person’s body by burning it to ashes. But these two methods are not environment-friendly. Therefore, to overcome this, there is now a growing movement that advocates for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative.
According to Caitlin Doughty, who owns and operates a nonprofit funeral home in California, the “cross-contamination of bodies is inevitable” in cremation. She adds, “We’re sending our families into these intimidating industrial warehouses with behemoth fire machines belching natural gas.” As for burials, it’s estimated that millions of liters of embalming fluid, which contain toxic chemicals that leach into the soil, are buried with dead bodies every year.
An article published by the BBC reported that the world is running out of burial space. All of this chaos has led the scientists and researchers to investigate other ways that can provide a better approach to this issue.
One such way is the Resomator machine. This innovative machine dissolves bodies through a process called alkaline hydrolysis.
This technique is similar to that of cremation; it is a more ethical option as it produces fewer pollutants and carbon dioxide.
According to Wired Magazine, “The system uses water and alkali based method at high temperature and pressure to chemically reduce the body to white ash.
After drying and processing of the white bones, the pure white sterile ash is returned to the relatives just as with flame cremation.
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Sandy Sullivan, the founder of Resomation Ltd., says, “it’s good for society, it’s good for the environment.” Moreover, alkaline hydrolysis is currently legal in several U.S. States and Canadian provinces as well as in the U.K.
This process is estimated to cost approximately $45, which, if you’ve ever been unfortunate enough to deal with a loved one’s death, is pocket change in comparison to the alternatives.
The process will make many people uncomfortable with this idea of dissolving. However, this could be a really good option for a better tomorrow and certainly a lot environment-friendly.
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