If you are thinking about aquamation as a disposition for you or a loved one you should, if you aren’t already, be researching this on third party sites, technical reviews, and larger cultural evaluations of this. And you are going to find some really negative stuff. So let’s get that out in the open right now.
With anything new, there are detractors. Here’s a little industry secret – the funeral industry thinks that cremation is a new technology. They are still actively trying to deal with the “cremation problem.” So, you can see where the notion of a new-to-market technology like aquamation might be a little outside their scope, as it were.
The most common phraseology you will hear “Turning grandma into goo.” Yep. We can temper this kind of talk with the science, the facts, and the reality and you really should take a look at the Alkaline Hydrolysis Demystified tab here in this FAQ, but the reality is that yeah, you kind of are. You are also turning grandma into goo if you bury her and you are turning her into cinders if you cremate her. Our industry has either been trying to demonize or pretty up the raw reality of post-mortem decay for a long time. What actually happens to the human body after death, no matter what method you choose, can be turned into some kind of nightmareish imagery. Aquamation, of the legal dispositions, is actually a pretty nice way to go when you choose the right adjectives and nouns.
If you hear of others that you find repugnant or shocking, let us know. Talk to us about it. There may be some merit, there may not. If you haven’t figured it out yet – we are super excited about this method because we truly believe that it helps our planet and keeps the cycle of life a beautiful closed circle.
No matter what – we are Switzerland when it comes to what you want. We don’t want you doing anything with a family member that you aren’t comfortable with. If you want cremation, THAT’S WHAT WE DO! It is in our name. We are here as a resource for you and can help demystify and counsel, but ultimately, the choice is completely up to you.