Resomation

A step closer to the future. For years we have been used to two standard forms of funerals: burial and cremation. Soon there will be a third, more sustainable option in the Netherlands: Resomation. Read all about this new process, the advantages, and the practice involved.

News: September 2023, the very first Funeral Center and Resomatorium in the Netherlands will open. Read all about 't Vijfde Seizoen under the heading 'Resomeren in Nederland'.

A resomation room at Bradshaw's Celebration of Life Center in Minnesota

We previously wrote about resomation as an alternative to burial and cremation, but at that time this possibility seemed like something from the distant future. Nothing could be further from the truth, because at this moment there is already a Resomator™ in the region of The Hague, there are already several resomators on order and there are construction plans for special resomation locations. Only the legislation still lags behind the developments in the sector.

On this page we will tell you what this new form of funeral is, why it is important that it is introduced, and what environmentally friendly resomation will look like in practice.

What is resomation?

Resomation, also known as aquamering, aquamation or water cremation, is a form of body processing using water. In a special machine, the Resomator™, the natural process that the body also goes through when it is buried is accelerated. Where this takes decades with burial, a body is processed within 3 hours with resomation. Although the process takes longer than with cremation, it is a lot more sustainable than fire cremation.

The history of Resomeren

Alkaline hydrolysis has been used for decades to process bodies, but only for animals. For example, pets are currently being resomated in the Netherlands, and the technique was used to process surplus livestock in America. 25 years ago, a biochemist, Mr. Sandy Sullivan, decided to develop a machine that could also use this process for people. He became the founder and namesake of the company Resomation, the first manufacturer of human-sized resomation machines. Since then, he and engineers Tony and Nathan have continued this idea worldwide, a process that has been going with fits and starts. In 2010, they won the Observer Ethics Awards for developing a process that would drastically reduce the CO2 emissions of the funeral industry, but changing the world turned out to be a process that takes years and years.

The first Resomation machines were installed about 20 years ago. The machine was used in the anatomy department of Mayo Clinic (and later UCLA) to process bodies. Dr. Dean Fisher, head of the body donation program, was looking for a more environmentally friendly way to do this within the walls of the hospital. He now has two Resomators for private funerals and is committed to spreading the vision of Resomation.

In the time that passes, the development of the Resomator ™ itself is far from standing still. Resomation Ltd. has been optimizing the process for 16 years. For example, they have done extensive research into the correct proportions of potassium hydroxide, pressure and heat, in order to make the balance per process as sustainable as possible. If too high a temperature has to be generated, this costs much more energy. They have also designed a closed system so that the operator does not have to have contact with liquids, and they are currently optimizing the use of heat. Everything to make resomation as environmentally friendly as possible.

How does resomation work?

Resomation in a Resomation Ltd. installation works as follows:

• Step 1: The machine weighs the body and automatically determines the correct process time and amount of liquid to ensure the process runs smoothly.
• Step 2: A mixture of 95% water and 5% Potassium hydroxide is added, after which the whole is heated to 150ºC. Because of the high pressure in the cabin, the water is prevented from evaporating and boiling.
• Step 3: After approximately 3 hours , the liquid is cooled and drained.
• Step 4: After the process, the bones remain. These are washed clean at 120ºC and the process is completed.

What remains after resomation?

After the process, the bones and a residual liquid remain. The pH value of the residual liquid is measured and adjusted if necessary, to allow it to enter the sewer with the correct values. This is how the liquid ends up in the Dutch water purification plants, and eventually becomes surface water. The great thing is that the Dutch water board also uses potassium hydroxide itself in neutralizing excessively high pH values. This means that these facilities are familiar with the material, and are therefore designed to be able to deal with it. This means that the used water can eventually safely return to the water cycle.

As for the bones, they have become so delicate that they can easily be ground into powder. They are dried and then pulverized in a Cremulator, the same machine used in cremation. The 'ash' that remains is much finer and whiter in color compared to the ash we are used to. This is because the bones have not been burned in the fire. For the same reason, there is also more 'ash' left.

Resomation in practice

Alkaline hydrolysis only processes animal material, which means that vegetable material cannot be included in the Resomator™. This involves a wooden coffin and clothing made of cotton and linen, for example. We are happy to tell you what impact this may or may not have on the funeral surrounding the resomation.

No box

Since a box cannot be put into the machine, a woollen shroud or special body bag is used as a covering. Wool is an animal product that dissolves completely in the Resomator™, and the special body bags are made of a hot water soluble bioplastic. It is important that the materials have been tested in collaboration with Resomation Ltd. to ensure that no unexpected changes occur in the process.

There are a number of options for transfer. The body can be placed on a bier, after which it is carefully moved to the Resomator™ input tray upon import. A reusable coffin can also be used for this purpose. In order to make the transfer of the body as simple and respectful as possible, new products are being developed.

No clothes of your own

Since your own clothing cannot be taken into the Resomator™, we are often asked whether it is not possible to be laid out in your own clothing. Fortunately, this is not the case, as long as there is good communication with the family. If you, as an entrepreneur or caregiver, would like to know more about this, please feel free to contact us. As an alternative to your own clothing, Wikkelgoed has developed a resomable wool shirt.

Care

A number of care products used around the funeral cannot be resomated. That is why special resomable products are being developed. If you as an entrepreneur or caregiver would like to know more about this, please feel free to contact us.

Alternatives

Resomation is not the only emerging form of alternative body disposal. There is a method called Cryomation, in which the remains are freeze-dried. A body can also be converted into fertile soil, a process called Humusation or composting . Both of these methods are not yet permitted, but this may change. Minister Ollongren wants to establish the procedure for approving new methods of body disposal. This will make it easier in the future to see which new alternatives have a chance of being permitted. For example, there is currently too little information about human composting to include it in the law. However, once the new admission requirements are clear, the right data can be collected in a targeted manner.

A funeral alternative that is already permitted is natural burial , where the body is buried in a designated nature area. In this way, these nature areas are protected by law, and money is released for the maintenance and development of these areas.

Terminology: resomation, aquamerization or water cremation?

Resomation has many names: water cremation, green cremation, aquamation, resomation and alkaline hydrolysis. Below we will guide you through what the different terms mean and where they come from.

Alkaline Hydrolysis

Let's start with the name of the underlying process: Alkaline Hydrolysis. Hydrolysis is the process that normally takes place during burial with the help of soil bacteria. With the help of water, these bacteria loosen the bonds between different molecules. In essence, the body is broken down into reusable individual molecules in this way. During resomation, this same process takes place, but it is accelerated with the help of temperature and potassium hydroxide. Potassium hydroxide is a basic material, which is the opposite of acid. Alkaline is simply another word for basic. Alkaline Hydrolysis therefore means the breaking down of molecular bonds with the help of water and a basic agent.

Resomation

The verb 'to resomate' comes from the first developer of machines that can apply Alkaline Hydrolysis to people: Resomation Ltd. This is also where the machine name Resomator™ comes from. This company name originates from the English verb 'to resolve', which means to dissolve. A coincidental fact is that 'Resoma' is also the Greek word for rebirth.

Aquamation

The term 'aquamation ' comes from the company name Aquamation, a sub-company of Bio-Response Solutions that later became a competitor to Resomation Ltd. Technically, aquamation does not perform resomations, as this is a different company name. However, the terms are often used interchangeably in common parlance. Technically, aquamation follows a similar process to resomation: both use alkaline hydrolysis,

Green Cremation - The use of the term 'Green Cremation' comes from the main advantage of resomation: it is a more sustainable alternative to cremation. However, the term can be confusing because it does not specify that it is a completely different process that uses water.

Water cremation - 'Water cremation' presents itself as a logical and 'neutral' term. However, the term still refers to cremation, where alkaline hydrolysis is a fundamentally different process.

It looks like the verb that will be included in Dutch law is 'resomeren'. That is why we use resomeren as a general term on this page.

Resomation, why?

Around the world, approximately 150,000 people die every day. This number is increasing as the world population increases. There are already countries, such as England, where the day that all cemeteries are full is in sight. It would be a logical step to switch to cremation, but this also has a huge impact. It is estimated that the average cremation has an environmental footprint equal to approximately 320 kilos of CO₂. Research by TNO, led by Elisabeth Keijzer, has shown that resomation has seven times less CO₂ emissions than cremation. In addition, 60 cubic meters of gas are used per cremation. This makes resomation a much more attractive option on all sides.

For comparison, see the table with the environmental impacts per funeral technique, from the TNO study :

The Health Council's advice mentions several reasons why resomation has less environmental impact than cremation:

• The process places less strain on finite resources
• The process has fewer harmful emissions (nitrogen and CO₂)
• Resomation takes up less available space

In addition, there are a number of other advantages to resomation:

• Jewelry and gold fillings, for example, remain intact and can be preserved
• Prostheses and pacemakers remain and can be reused , a particularly environmentally friendly advantage of resomation
• In a resomation the box does not go into the machine. This means that boxes can also be reused
• A Resomator™ does not require filter systems, meaning that there is already space available in existing crematoria to install the machines

Criticism of resomation

The TNO research has been criticised from various angles, because the representation of burial is based on classical burial. In this case, a gravestone and a solid wooden coffin are always used. For example, burials with a shroud and a bier are not included, let alone natural burial without a gravestone. Burial is therefore much more sustainable than stated in the research. Does this change the importance of the arrival of resomation?

As argued above, not only the sustainability of burial itself plays a role, but also the possibilities for this in the future. For example, natural burials have a perpetual burial right, which means that these cemeteries will eventually fill up. With the rate at which our world population is growing, a switch to cremation seems inevitable, which makes the arrival of a more sustainable alternative such as resomation necessary.

Resomation and faith

In 2017, the Draagvlakonderzoek Resomeren was published, which investigated how different population groups position themselves towards the arrival of resomeren. This showed that Roman Catholics and Buddhists generally have a positive view of resomeren. In contrast, the Reformed, Protestant and Muslims have the least need for this new method. The most positive group about the new development are those who do not live according to a particular faith.

Resomation in the Netherlands

Despite the fact that an advice for the legalization of resomation was already submitted in 2020 by Minister Ollongren of the Interior, the process does not seem to be allowed until 2024. Why is the change in the law taking place so slowly?

The original advisory letter was written based on an advisory report from the Health Council, which published a study on the safety of the Resomator™ in 2018. The Health Council had set up a special committee for this purpose with expertise in the field of anthropology, environmental technology, ethics, law and biological safety. The study showed, among other things, that no negative effects are expected when purifying resomation effluent. In other words: the use of a Resomator™ is responsible.

The introduction of the new funeral law has been delayed several times due to the circumstances surrounding Covid 19, but it remains at the bottom of the political agenda. This while the importance of reducing CO₂ emissions was explicitly demonstrated during the climate summit in 2021. In January 2022, Archbishop and sustainability activist Desmond Tutu also consciously chose to set a precedent and have himself resomated. The first installations were installed in England and Ireland at the beginning of 2023. Unfortunately, the Dutch government is lagging behind. Fortunately, in addition to the efforts of Resomation Ltd. itself, a new campaign has been started by entrepreneurs from the Dutch funeral industry. This concerns entrepreneurs who have plans for sustainable resomation centres. This campaign is starting to bear fruit: during the VTU Uitvaart Vakbeurs 2022, VVD MP Mark Strolenberg visited the stand of Resomation Ltd. and Wikkelgoed, after which he publicly stated that he would push for an accelerated change in the law.

Update October 2022: On October 10, it was announced that the bill will be dealt with in the first half of 2024. In the meantime, resomation is receiving increasing attention in Belgium, and it seems that Belgium will legalize resomation sooner than the Netherlands.

Update November 2022 : Because the establishment of the law has been delayed several times, but there are no objections to resomation, there is a push to maintain a tolerance policy. This also happened years ago with cremation: cremation was tolerated for 40 years before it was legally permitted. There is great enthusiasm for this tolerance policy, both from Dutch funeral directors and from academic hospitals. This is not the first time: in America, resomation was also first applied in hospitals, after which it started to grow in the private sector.

Update September 2023: This month, the very first Funeral Home and Resomatorium in the Netherlands opened. 't Vijfde Seizoen, by initiator and visionary Erik van Zoest. The renovation of the funeral home has been completed, and the location is already available for use. As soon as resomation is approved, 't Vijfde Seizoen will be ready in a beautiful location: in the middle of the Betuwe. Curious? Follow the latest news about 't Vijfde Seizoen .

Resomation in Belgium

The debate on resomation In Belgium has yet to begin, says director Tom Wustenberghs of a number of crematoria in Belgium. However, he estimates that the legislative process on resomation in Belgium could also proceed quickly, partly thanks to the Netherlands as a precedent. Since the legislation for the funeral sector in Flanders will probably be revised within two or three years, he believes that this new technique will also be discussed then.

Resomation in other countries

At the moment, resomation is already permitted in:

• South Africa
• 32 US states
• Canada
• Mexico
  

In addition, Ireland and Norway have chosen to allow resomation within a few months through emergency legislation. Several other countries have started to adjust local laws and regulations. Here, it is expected that resomation will be allowed in 2024:

• The Netherlands
• England
• Belgium
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Sweden
• Denmark
• Switzerland

How much does Resomation cost?

It is currently not yet certain what the costs of a resomation in the Netherlands will be. There are parties that expect to offer a budget resomation for approximately €1450. The average cost of resomation in the United States is $1,695, which is equal to €1,436.88. The funeral insurance guide estimates that the price of a resomation including funeral ceremony will be €7,000. In all three estimates, the price of resomation will be the same as a cremation. However, the financial picture is more attractive because the coffin or bier could be reused.

Is resomation covered by my insurance?

Since resomation is not yet permitted, it is not possible to say with 100% certainty how resomation will look in terms of insurance policies. To begin with, it is always possible to have an amount paid out, and thus choose resomation from the insurance. However, it is expected that it will also be possible to convert a cremation policy to a resomation, and ultimately to take out insurance for a resomation. Insurance companies will probably grow along with the developments surrounding resomation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any ash left after resomation?

Yes, after the process dried bones are left which are cremated to a white powder. This is 30% more in volume than cremation.

Do you have to be cremated without clothes?

There are many crazy stories going around, but in practice the body is almost always covered. This can be in a special resomation shroud, or in a special kind of body bag.

Is acid used in resomation?

No, the process uses Potassium Hydroxide, which is a basic agent.

Does the water boil during resomation?

Even though the process takes place at 150 degrees Celsius, the water does not boil. This is because the process takes place under high pressure.

Can't you use a coffin for resomation?

Since vegetable protein does not dissolve in the machine, a coffin cannot be used for the entry. However, this could be used during the ceremony, although the body must then be carefully removed from the food.

Is resomation already allowed in the Netherlands?

On October 10, 2022, it was announced that the bill will be dealt with in the first half of 2024.

Can you wear your own clothes during resomation?

Personal clothing cannot be put in the Resomator™ , which means that at the time of entry, no personal clothing can be worn. However, special resomation undergarments can be worn, over which personal clothing can be placed during the ceremony.

Is resomation vegan?

The alkaline hydrolysis process does not use any animal products. However, many wraps will be made of wool, which is not vegan. Fortunately, the resomation body bag made of bioplastic is a good vegan replacement for this.

How long does resomation take?

The resomation process itself takes about 3 hours, after which the bones are dried and cremated.

Can you resomate a pet?

Certainly! In fact, resomation for pets is already possible in the Netherlands. This can be done at Dierencrematorium Novio , among others.