Going Green

Water cremation reduces impact on the environment

During his life, Bishop Desmond Tutu took actions on behalf of many meaningful causes.

Even in his death last December, the South African Nobel Peace Prize winner brought the world’s attention to still another meaningful cause – our environment.

Bishop Tutu requested his remains undergo water cremation, sometimes known as aquamation, as an environmentally friendly option. But what is water cremation?

In short, it’s a natural decomposition process with fewer environmental impacts associated with flame cremation. Known scientifically as alkaline hydrolysis, water cremation uses a mixture of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and water to break down the body. It’s a gentle, environmentally friendly means for returning the body to the earth. Water cremation does not require a burial plot and can be performed with carbon footprint that’s 90% less than flame cremation.

Practiced safely for more than 20 years, water cremation has been embraced by noted medical facilities (such as the Mayo Clinic) which recognize its many benefits. Our bodies are around 65% water, and water cremation bears similarities to many physiological processes that occur naturally in the body. In around eight hours, this process gently converts the human body into its most basic components. Since is not a combustion process, it does not produce toxic gases or air pollutants. The remains are reduced to a powder consistency and returned to the family.

As people look to be more environmentally conscious in all aspects of their lives, those values are making an impact on how we want to leave the world for our loved ones. To meet those needs, we at Goes Funeral Care seek to stay in step with the leading trends of our industry, and work to provide the most current technologies to the families we care for.

To better serve our community and the surrounding region, look for our announcement later in 2022.