What is aquamation? The process behind Desmond Tutu’s ‘green cremation’

theguardian.com ^

[BenLurkin]

With aquamation, or “alkaline hydrolysis”, the body of the deceased is immersed for three to four hours in a mixture of water and a strong alkali, such as potassium hydroxide, in a pressurised metal cylinder and heated to around 150C.

The process liquifies everything except for the bones, which are then dried in an oven and reduced to white dust, placed in an urn and handed to relatives.

First developed in the early 1990s as a way to discard the bodies of animals used in experiments, the method was then used to dispose of cattle during the mad cow disease epidemic...

[Veto!]

This is very expensive and very “earth friendly.” I think it’s fine if you can afford it.

[hardspunned]

Walter White used to use a similar process.

[Tennessee Nana]

Yuck that sounds gruesome ...

[DoodleBob]

With aquamation, or “alkaline hydrolysis”, the body of the deceased is immersed for three to four hours in a mixture of water and a strong alkali, such as potassium hydroxide, in a pressurised metal cylinder and heated to around 150C. The process liquifies everything except for the bones, which are then dried in an oven and reduced to white dust, placed in an urn and handed to relatives.

There is NO WAY this is more "environmentally friendly" than a traditional burial. Where do they think those used chemicals go? Oh, that's right...down the drain...

[Michigan Bowhunter]

There is no lyeing with that statement. Really all you need to do is call in Mr Wolf and he will clean up the situation.

[Mean Daddy]

Not sure what the Catholic Church is on this. In regular cremation, i believe all that’s left is the ash from the bones so the results would be the same.

[TangoLimaSierra]

"...the method was then used to dispose of cattle during the mad cow disease."

Good enough for Tutu.

[Da Coyote]

The Guardian likes it.
‘Nuff said.

[MercyFlush]

A wood chipper would be tons easier.

[Mean Daddy]

Did a quick Google and it’s not accepted by the Catholic Church as the liquidized material is released into the sewer system.

[BenLurkin]

But can it be dried and pressed into food bars?

[Norski]

Understand Satanists and the Mob have been doing this for years.

[PLMerite]

Soylent Green in liquid form.

[Howie66]

Sounds like a great retirement plan for members of Congress.

[SauronOfMordor]

Potassium hydroxide, also known as caustic potash, is a fertilizer.

Dilute the result in water and spray on fields.

[Howie66]

Feral hogs can do the same thing and leave nothing at all behind. Alligators as well.

[x]

Aquamation takes a lot of effort, and I'm not sure the end result was really worth it:

Seriously, though, why's the earth gotten to be so snobby, picky, and fragile that it doesn't want your bones anymore?

[kaktuskid]

Tutu Stew?

[Chode]

maybe a necklace?