Scotland has become the first part of the UK to legalise alkaline hydrolysis, also known as water cremation or aquamation, as an environmentally friendly alternative to burial or traditional cremation. The regulations, approved by the Scottish parliament on Monday, mark the most significant change to funeral law since cremation was introduced in 1902.
The process involves immersing the body in a pressurised metal cylinder containing water and 5% alkaline solution, such as potassium hydroxide, heated to about 150C for three to four hours. This dissolves body tissue, leaving only bones, which are then dried and pulverised into white dust. Relatives can keep, scatter or bury the remains as they would with ashes from a fire cremation.
Scottish public health minister Jenni Minto said the new method responds to significant public support for greater choice and offers an environmentally friendly alternative. She stressed that hydrolysis would be subject to the same regulatory requirements as existing methods. The process produces no direct toxic emissions to air and may reduce the use of single-use coffins.
Kindly Earth, which holds exclusive UK rights to manufacture hydrolysis equipment, said it could take up to nine months before the first Scottish facility is operational, as funeral directors will need planning permission and a permit from the local water authority. The company's general manager Helen Chandler described it as a historic moment for the funeral sector in Scotland, emphasising that it is about giving families more choice.
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. In England and Wales, the Law Commission is considering a regulatory framework for new funerary methods, including hydrolysis and human composting.
