The Law Commission in Britain is reviewing whether to allow water cremations. It could be a more environmentally friendly approach for disposing of human remains. This process is scientifically known as alkaline hydrolysis. Often dubbed “boil in a bag” because the bodies are liquified and then flushed down a drain, this cremation process could get a green signal in the UK.
This non-traditional practice uses hydrogen oxide, chemicals, pressure, and heat to break down remains into liquid, which is called “effluent.” The scientists describe this liquid as brown, often resembling the color of tea or ale. In addition, the effluent also gets rid of any tissue or DNA. If there are any bones left, the bereaved family of the loved ones could take them home and scatter them or keep them as traditional ashes.
If this gets a go-ahead signal, water cremations could easily replace more traditional practices like incineration or ground burials.
“[The] biggest change to funerals in over 120 years,” declared the Co-Operative Group in 2023. However, the Law Commission has yet to give a proper green signal as it emphasized that there is no regulatory approval of the process as of now, reports The Standard. Although countries such as the United States, South Africa, and Ireland have already seen many water cremations, in the UK, it remains controversial.
“At Co-op Funeralcare, we are committed to serving the needs of our member-owners and clients and offering the most sustainable and affordable services,” said a spokesperson of the organization.
“In 2023, we announced our ambition to pilot Resomation in the UK, and we subsequently worked closely with the Government to explore the regulatory requirements to introduce this service across the nation.”
Water Cremations in UK.
Yay or Nay?
I think Cremations will be the only option in the future. Globally we are over populated and more people are dying at a rapid rate, due to all these viruses and Cancers etc…
The will struggle to find land to bury us. #cremation #death pic.twitter.com/YjZSPAhihY
— Star💫 (@Starseeker1986) November 12, 2023
The representative added, “However, we did not proceed with this as, at the time, we were unable to find a path through the current regulatory framework.”
“We welcome The Law Commission’s review and encourage exploration into alternative methods that provide consumers with greater choice and deliver environmental benefits.”
Although the environmentalists side with this practice, many are not on board yet. Some critics claim that alkaline hydrolysis could be seen as a kind of desecration of the body of someone’s loved one. The claims emerge from the fact that the majority of the corpse is disposed of as wastewater.
An alternative to ground burial or a flame-based cremation could get the go-ahead due to a new consultation into methods by the independent Law Commission.🥴
Respectfully known as ‘boil in a bag’ 🙄funerals have no regulatory framework – officially called water cremation or… pic.twitter.com/lNLxh6KNjP
— Mr Pål Christiansen (@TheNorskaPaul) June 10, 2025
However, Dr. Lian Lundy, a professor of environmental science at Middlesex University, has a counter argument for the aforementioned concern. Speaking with the Daily Telegraph, Lundy said. “Some people view it as basically mixing up my loved one with poo in the sewer and they don’t like that.”
The professor elaborated, “But there’s a lot that goes into the sewer that we don’t really think about – waste from mortuaries and hospitals and all sorts of things that we don’t know about – so from that perspective, it’s not really any different.”
In countries where this cremation process if legal, the costing could go up to $5,000, depending on the provider and location, as explained by the Farewell Guide.
