Gross but Green Disposal of Human Remains: Dissolving them with Lye
May 12, 2008 · Print This Article
Disposing of dead bodies is gross, no matter what. There are, you know, smells and fluids and ewwww… stuff like that involved. Finding a way to bury our dead has been a concern since the dawn of humanity on this planet, and over time, it’s gotten more and more complicated.
Some folks are looking for a simpler way, and that’s bringing all sorts of alternative burial possibilities to light, including the latest idea: dissolving bodies with lye.
From Yahoo News:
The process is called alkaline hydrolysis and was developed in this country 16 years ago to get rid of animal carcasses. It uses lye, 300-degree heat and 60 pounds of pressure per square inch to destroy bodies in big stainless-steel cylinders that are similar to pressure cookers.
No funeral homes in the U.S. — or anywhere else in the world, as far as the equipment manufacturer knows — offer it. In fact, only two U.S. medical centers use it on human bodies, and only on cadavers donated for research.
But because of its environmental advantages, some in the funeral industry say it could someday rival burial and cremation.
In addition to the liquid, the process leaves a dry bone residue similar in appearance and volume to cremated remains. It could be returned to the family in an urn or buried in a cemetery.
The coffee-colored liquid has the consistency of motor oil and a strong ammonia smell. But proponents say it is sterile and can, in most cases, be safely poured down the drain, provided the operation has the necessary permits.
It’s undoubtedly better for the environment than building elaborate caskets and taking up space in the ground with things that don’t decompose. When you think about it, it’s really dumb to put something that would naturally just become a part of the environment into a casing that will remain in the ground forever. It’s also greener than cremation, which releases emissions like carbon dioxide. However, being poured down the drain as an oozy, syrupy brown goo just isn’t the way most of us want to go out.
A lot of ‘green’ people I know have a romantic fantasy of being buried, whole and untouched, in the ground with a tree planted over them. That’s definitely a more palatable idea than being turned into human motor oil, and hopefully natural cemeteries will gain ground in the coming years. Funeral directors would definitely have quite a task in front of them trying to convince the public to dispose of their loved ones’ remains in such a seemingly cold way.
Link [Yahoo News] via [Bag of Nothing]
Photo credit: Flickr user The Lilac Breasted Roller
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This reminds me of the company that is turning your loved one into diamonds by putting them in a pressure cooker process. You can wear aunt Patty as a nose ring.
Ew, I hadn’t heard of that before, k-man!