Scotland has become the first part of the UK to legalise hydrolysis, an environmentally friendly alternative to cremation or burial, reflecting increasing demand for more sustainable funeral arrangements.
Also known as water cremation or aquamation, the process is already available in many parts of the world, and regulations approved by the Scottish parliament on Monday mark the most significant change to funeral law since cremation was introduced in 1902.
Replicating the natural process of decomposition that occurs after burial, but over a much shorter period of time, hydrolysis uses a strong alkaline solution to break down the body of the deceased person.
The body is immersed in water and 5% alkaline, such as potassium hydroxide, for three to four hours in a pressurised metal cylinder and heated to about 150C (300F).
This dissolves the body tissue, leaving only bones, which are then dried and pulverised into white dust. This is placed in an urn and relatives can choose to keep, scatter or bury it just as they would with traditional ashes from a fire cremation.
The Scottish government’s public health minister, Jenni Minto, said: “The choices people make about their remains prior to death are deeply personal, shaped by individual values, beliefs and the wishes of their families.
“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.”
Minto 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 was operational, as a funeral director would need to secure planning permission as well as a permit from the local water authority.
Describing it as a historic moment for the funeral sector in Scotland, the company’s general manager, Helen Chandler, said: “We know that not everyone will choose hydrolysis – and that’s the point. It’s about giving families more choice. Each family has different values and priorities. Some people, particularly those planning ahead for their own funeral, are looking for options that feel more aligned to their own preferences.”
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.
Kindly Earth says families choosing hydrolysis do so because it feels a gentler and less environmentally impactful alternative.
The process produces no direct toxic emissions to air and there is also potential to reduce the use of single-use coffins, as one is not required for hydrolysis.
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, the chief operations officer of William Purves Funeral Directors, an independent Scottish funeral firm that has been part of the working group advising the Scottish government, said families he worked with were increasingly interested in the sustainability of funerals.
“We’re all aware of the environmental impact we have in our lives, and spend a lot of time choosing what we recycle and so on, so it’s only right that people should be able to consider that for their funeral too.”
Purves points out that over 100 years ago when cremation was introduced, public opinion was divided, with some advocates and critics who thought it was abhorrent. But now cremations account for almost 80% of UK funerals, according to the Cremation Society.
“With something different and new, people are always going to be sceptical and they may not even know what it is yet. But cremation has become very accepted in the UK and I expect the same thing will happen with hydrolysis as we accept it as a society.”
