WATER cremation or ‘boil in a bag’ funerals, where your body is liquified, will become available in the UK.
Co-op Funeralcare will start offering the service known as resomation or alkaline hydrolysis, later this year, after it has become popular around the world.
It is the first alternative to burial or gas cremation in Britain since the introduction of the Cremation Act of 1902.
The method is thought to be an environmentally friendly option because it does not release toxic gases, air pollutants or polluting fluids.
Cremations release carbon dioxide and toxic gases while burials risk groundwater contamination.
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With water cremations, the deceased body is put into a biodegradable pouch and then placed in a container filled with pressurised water and potassium hydroxide and then boiled at 160 degrees Centigrade.
The process converts the body’s tissues and cells into a watery solution with one cycle taking around four hours.
Soft bones remain which are then dried and reduced to a white powder, which can be returned to relatives in an urn.
Currently, the firm Resomation is the UK's only supplier of water cremators which developed the technology over a decade, working with funeral partners in the US and around the world.
The Co-op, which organises more than 93,000 funerals each year, said it would be working with sustainability experts and academics to further validate existing research during an initial regional pilot.
It said it will announce the pilot locations later this year with the hope of expanding the service to all it clients.
The Co-op also said it had updated the Government on its plans to make the process available across the UK and added questions on new burial methods had been raised at the Synod of Church of England earlier this year.
While burials or gas cremations are currently the only options for UK families, water cremations have been growing in popularity in Canada, South Africa and the majority of US states.
To date, the most high-profile figure to have opted for resomation was anti-apartheid campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who died in 2021.
While resomation is understood not to be illegal it will have to comply with any relevant health, safety and environmental regulations.
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The news comes as the Law Commission is currently reviewing existing legislation to see how they can accommodate new burial methods.
A YouGov poll commissioned by Co-op Funeralcare revealed that while 89 per cent of UK adults had not heard of resomation, when it was explained, nearly a third said they would choose it for their own funeral, if it was available.
It also found that nearly a fifth of adults, who had arranged a funeral in the past five years, said they would have considered resomation for their loved ones, had it been an option.
Professor Douglas Davies, an anthropologist, theologian and death rites expert at Durham University, said: “The rise in ecological and sustainability concerns over the past decade combined with a desire to be part of nature or laid to rest in a natural setting, means more people are considering the environmental impact of their body once they die.
“The reduced carbon footprint that may come with resomation compared with other forms of body disposal, means it will no doubt be of interest to many people as the practise is increasingly made available in the UK.”
Gill Stewart, managing director of Co-op Funeralcare said introducing “innovative and sustainable options” for clients is 'an absolute priority'.
She said: "Up until now choice has been limited to burial or cremation.
“We've seen from the rapid uptake of newer funeral options such as direct cremation, that when choice in the funeral market is broadened, this is only a positive thing both for the bereaved and for those planning ahead for their own farewell.”
Julian Atkinson, director of resomation service Kindly Earth, added: “Throughout the 30 years I have been involved in the funeral industry, I have always been passionate about people having access to more sustainable end of life arrangements, and we are encouraged to see that many members of the public are conscious of reducing the carbon footprint, even after death.”
