Scotland has become the first part of the UK to legalise hydrolysis, an environmentally friendly alternative to burial or cremation. The process, also known as water cremation or aquamation, uses a strong alkaline solution to break down the body in three to four hours. The regulations approved by the Scottish parliament on Monday mark the most significant change to funeral law since cremation was introduced in 1902.
Hydrolysis replicates the natural decomposition process but over a much shorter period. The body is immersed in water and 5% alkaline, such as potassium hydroxide, in a pressurised metal cylinder heated to about 150C. This dissolves body tissue, leaving only bones, which are then dried and pulverised into white dust. The ashes can be kept, scattered or buried, just like traditional cremation ashes.
The Scottish government's public health minister, Jenni Minto, said: '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.' She stressed that the new process would be subject to the same regulatory requirements as existing methods.
Kindly Earth, which holds exclusive rights to manufacture hydrolysis equipment in the UK, said it could take up to nine months before the first Scottish facility is operational. The company's general manager, Helen Chandler, described it as a historic moment for the funeral sector in Scotland. Hydrolysis is already legal in 28 US states, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Archbishop Desmond Tutu chose water cremation for his funeral in 2022.
The process produces no direct toxic emissions to air and reduces the need for single-use coffins. Elsewhere in the UK, the Law Commission in England and Wales is considering a regulatory framework for new funerary methods, including hydrolysis and human composting. Andrew Purves of William Purves Funeral Directors said families are increasingly interested in the sustainability of funerals, and expects hydrolysis to become as accepted as cremation over time.
