Environmentally-Friendly Cremation Now Available in Minnesota, US

Recent news informs us that a Scottish company (Resomation Ltd.) which took it upon itself to reduce the environmental impact of the process of cremation has only recently opened a new unit in Minnesota, US.

Given the fact that said company first set foot on US soil just last year, when it began providing the citizens of Florida with the very same service, it can be said this type of bussiness might have just found its niche on the American market.

This basically means that the people living here who both find themselves having to let go of a loved one, and who display great concern for the wellbeing of the environment, can opt for an innovative method of cremation, which significantly cuts down on the amounts of toxic chemical compounds released during this process.

Apparently, although most people tend to not think about this – and nobody can honestly blame them for choosing to do so –, cremation (i.e. the process of burning a body in order to dispose of it) has considerable negative effects on the environment, as chemical compounds such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and several others get released into the atmosphere.

Commenting on this peculiar yet green-oriented way of dealing with the dead, Resomation Ltd.'s Chief Executive Director explained how, “We’ve developed the process to a stage where it’s running very well. I’m happy with where it is. There has been refinement in software changes and pipe work changes to make it quieter and things like that, but the machine is running very smoothly.”

As Inhabitat explains, the alkaline hydrolysis unit made available by this Scottish company acts not by burning the body, but by pretty much dissolving it into an alkaline solution.

Whatever parts of the skeleton remain in the end can easily be turned into a white powder and given to the family, so it can be argued that the end result does not differ much from that of traditional cremation practices.

However, we are dealing with less air pollution and a significant reduction in terms of energy use, as said alkaline hydrolysis unit only requires a seventh of the power run-off-the-mill cremation units use.

Although this topic is indeed delicate, no harm can come out of reading about it, at least for the purpose of staying informed.