Belgium - It could hardly be said to be the most dignified of send-offs. Undertakers in Belgium plan to eschew traditional burials and cremations and start dissolving corpses instead. The move is intended to tackle a lack of burial space and environmental concerns as 573lbs of carbon dioxide are released by each cremated corpse. Under the process, known as resomation, bodies are treated in a steel chamber with potassium hydroxide at high pressure and a temperature of 180c (350f)...More
The best alternative is from a new company, CycledLife, www.CycledLife.com. They offer a CycledBurial(TM), which is a burial that returns the body to the earth in a manner that will not harm family or friends. One's remains are cleansed, using water and alkali, of all harmful pathogens. The body is returned to the earth. As the sterile remains contain no DNA, the body can be placed directly on the ground or just below the surface. No cemetery is required. Though, the remains may be buried in a cemetery. This process is vastly different from a cremation. Whereas cremation harms the living, a CycledBurial allows one to participate in the cycle of life.
ReplyDeletePlacing unsterile bodies in the ground is not a thoughtful practice, nor sustainable. It is risky business.