THE ROUTE TO HEAVEN VIA A WATER TANK !

The UK’s largest funeral provider has announced that it will introduce the practice, called resomation – also known as water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis – later this year. The practice consists of the deceased being enclosed in a biodegradable pouch then placed in a container filled with pressurised water and a small amount of potassium hydroxide. This rapidly converts tissue and cells into a watery solution, with one cycle taking approximately four hours. Soft bones remain and these are dried then reduced to a white powder, which can be returned to relatives in an urn. Research suggests that resomation is a more sustainable option as it does not release toxic gases, air pollutants or polluting fluids. Cremating a body leads to the release of carbon dioxide and potentially toxic gases while burials can lead to the risk of groundwater contamination. The Co-op, which arranges more than 93,000 funerals a year, said it will be working with sustainability experts and academia to further validate existing research during its initial regional pilot. It said pilot locations to be announced later this year with the intention to expand the service to all Co-op clients. It has also updated the government on its plans to make the process available in the UK and said that questions on new burial methods were raised at the Synod of Church of England earlier this year.