To: Mark D. Sickles, Virginia Delegate and Chair of the Health & Human Services Committee
Legalize Alkaline Hydrolysis in Virginia
Dear Del. Sickles,
We, the undersigned, urge you to draft a bill to legalize alkaline hydrolysis as a form of disposition to be offered by funeral homes and crematories in Virginia.
Alkaline hydrolysis is a form of flameless cremation that offers the same results as traditional fire cremation but with fewer negative environmental effects. It is a natural process made more efficient through technological innovations.
The environmental benefits of alkaline hydrolysis over traditional cremation are huge. Traditional burial costs increase exponentially – from caskets and embalming services to cemetery fees – and land that can be appropriated for cemeteries becomes increasingly precious. While cremation is a more economical approach to death care, both in terms of cost and space, it is a not-insignificant source of greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage. In contrast, Smithsonian Magazine reports that “Alkaline hydrolysis consumes approximately 10 percent of the energy required to cremate a body in flame, its equipment runs on electricity rather than fossil fuels, and it emits no greenhouse gases”. In addition, if the liquid effluent from the alkaline hydrolysis process is utilized in gardens or farmland, it improves the land and the quality of life for the Virginians sustained by it.
Our closest neighbors with funeral homes or crematories that offer alkaline hydrolysis as a service are Maryland, Tennessee, and North Carolina. While it is possible to transfer decedents out of state to a funeral home or crematory that will perform alkaline hydrolysis, long-distance transit adds legal and practical complexities, and costs can be prohibitive to families.
Our closest neighbors with funeral homes or crematories that offer alkaline hydrolysis as a service are Maryland, Tennessee, and North Carolina. While it is possible to transfer decedents out of state to a funeral home or crematory that will perform alkaline hydrolysis, long-distance transit adds legal and practical complexities, and costs can be prohibitive to families.
It would be much more beneficial to Virginians if alkaline hydrolysis was legal within our commonwealth, offered by local funeral homes and crematories. This helps to control costs for families as well as support our local economies. Alkaline hydrolysis would not increase the amount of pollutants in our lands, waters, or air. Instead, it would open up more funeral options for Virginians while reducing the carbon footprint and waste production of our commonwealth's funeral industry.
We urge you to propose a bill legalizing alkaline hydrolysis as a form of human disposition to the General Assembly for the benefit of Virginians in the present and future.
Sincerely,
Your Fellow Virginians
Your Fellow Virginians
Why is this important?
What is alkaline hydrolysis?
Alkaline hydrolysis is a form of flameless cremation that offers the same results as traditional fire cremation but with fewer negative environmental effects. The process of alkaline hydrolysis is based in nature, mimicking the natural process of decomposition, only faster.
The deceased human body is placed in a stainless steel cylinder, nude or wrapped in an organic material like silk or wool. Next, salts are added to the machine, and it fills with hot water. The machine gently agitates the water and salts around the body, causing chemical reactions that break the body down into 1) clean bones and 2) a liquid solution of amino acids, peptides, sugars, and salts called “effluent.” The effluent is sterile, contains no identifiable DNA, and can be drained harmlessly into the public sewer system to be treated like any other waste. However, the effluent is also nutrient-rich and can be reserved as an excellent fertilizer for use in private gardens or donated to local farms, should the family of the deceased wish. The bone matter is clean and bright, and following a drying period, can be processed in the same manner as follows a traditional flame cremation.
According to the Cremation Association of North America (CANA), “Alkaline hydrolysis was developed and patented in 1888 by Amos Herbert Hanson, a farmer who was looking for a way to make fertilizer from animal carcasses. In 1993, the first commercial system was installed at Albany Medical College to dispose of human cadavers. The process continued to be adopted by universities and hospitals with donated body programs over the next ten years. The process was first used in the funeral industry in 2011 by two different funeral homes – one in Ohio and one in Florida." So, alkaline hydrolysis isn’t new – it’s just gaining momentum.
What are the environmental benefits of alkaline hydrolysis?
The environmental benefits of alkaline hydrolysis over traditional cremation are huge. Traditional burial costs increase exponentially – from the costs of caskets to cemetery fees – and land that can be appropriated for cemeteries becomes increasingly precious. While cremation is a more economical approach to death care, both in terms of cost and space, it is a not-insignificant source of greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage (whether through natural gas or fossil fuels).
In contrast, Smithsonian Magazine reports that “Alkaline hydrolysis consumes approximately 10 percent of the energy required to cremate a body in flame, its equipment runs on electricity rather than fossil fuels, and it emits no greenhouse gases." In addition, if the effluent from the alkaline hydrolysis process is utilized in gardens or farmland, it improves the land and the quality of life for the Virginians sustained by it. For Virginians who are seeking a more earth-friendly path forward in death care, alkaline hydrolysis would provide a powerfully positive option.
Why make alkaline hydrolysis legal in Virginia?
Alkaline hydrolysis is legal in 21 of 50 states, not including Virginia. Our closest neighbors with funeral homes or crematories that offer alkaline hydrolysis as a service are Maryland, Tennessee, and North Carolina. It is also legal in West Virginia. While it’s possible to have a decedent transferred out of state to a funeral home or crematory that will perform alkaline hydrolysis, long-distance transit adds legal and practical complexities, and costs can be prohibitive.
It would be much more beneficial to Virginians if alkaline hydrolysis was legal within our commonwealth, offered by local funeral homes and crematories. This helps to control costs for families as well as support our local economies. Alkaline hydrolysis would not increase the amount of pollutants in our lands, waters, or air. Instead, it would give us an opportunity to give back to the landscape that nourished us and “pay it forward” to future generations of Virginians.