A new report from the Law Commission has recommended that human composting and water cremation be legalised in England and Wales. Currently, burial, cremation and burial at sea are the only formally recognised methods of disposal in these nations. Water cremation, also known as alkaline hydrolysis or resomation, was introduced in Scotland in March, making it the first UK nation to adopt the method.
The Law Commission report suggests that the Westminster and Welsh Governments should be able to approve and regulate new funeral methods through secondary legislation, allowing them to respond to emerging practices without the need for primary legislation each time. Water cremation involves placing the body in a chamber with hot water and chemicals to speed up decomposition, while human composting, or terramation, uses organic materials like wood chips and straw to convert remains into soil over several weeks.
Kristoffer Hughes, a writer, television personality and mortuary worker from Anglesey, is leading a campaign to bring human composting to the UK. He envisions it as a natural alternative to traditional burial and cremation, with the resulting soil used for planting trees or creating memorial spaces. The Law Commission stressed that any new methods must protect the environment, public health and safety, and ensure human remains are treated with dignity.
The report also emphasises that none of the recommendations would compel anyone to use a particular method, safeguarding religious and cultural practices. It calls for an effective oversight system, including facility inspections, to ensure compliance with regulations. Professor Alison Young, Commissioner for Public Law, stated: “Everyone deserves the right to have their wishes respected after death, and those who love them deserve confidence that the law will protect that.”
The Law Commission’s recommendations follow earlier proposals to address burial space shortages by allowing the reuse of graves over a century old, while protecting war graves. The commission noted that water cremation is already available in parts of Australia and Canada, and both methods are used in parts of the United States.
