For most of history, cremation and traditional burial have been the primary methods of disposition for a person’s body after their death. Each one eventually returns the body to its most basic component of bone ash, with the main differences being the method and the amount of time it takes. In recent years, there is a newer alternative to these two traditional practices, called aquamation services, near Jacksonville, NC. Aquamation is a method of disposition that results in bone ash as well, but the process is quite different from cremation or burial.

With aquamation, the body is put into a stainless-steel chamber, which is then filled with a solution of water, potassium hydroxide (KOH), and sodium. This creates an alkaline solution. The temperature within the chamber is raised and the water begins to circulate, which begins the reaction. Over a short period of time, the reaction within breaks the body down to its base skeletal remains. These are then processed and given back to the family, similar to cremation. In fact, there is often 20% more ashes that are returned after aquamation, when compared with cremation services.

One of the biggest advantages of choosing aquamation services is the low environmental impact. After the process completes, the remaining water has no traces of the alkaline solution left. It only contains only a few things like sugars, salts, and amino acids; things which pose no danger to the environment. Unlike cremation, aquamation produces no harmful greenhouse gases due to combustion. There is no danger of harmful embalming chemicals entering the earth, like there is with traditional burial.

Options for aquamation services are generally comparable to those of cremation services. The most basic and inexpensive option is direct aquamation, which does not involve any sort of memorial or funeral services. You may set up a time before the process takes place for immediate family to say their final goodbyes. However, if you wish to hold a traditional funeral prior to aquamation, this is possible as well. You can connect with a trusted funeral home to make arrangements, and following the services, your loved one will be transported to the place of disposition. Many people choose to have their loved one undergo aquamation first, and then hold a memorial service or scattering ceremony sometime afterwards. The freedom to make arrangements according to your family’s needs and your loved one’s wishes are another one of the benefits that comes with aquamation.

This choice may not be right for everyone, and your family will need to take into account the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative. However, by choosing aquamation services near Jacksonville, NC, you can feel confident that you have chosen to lower your impact on the environment. Your loved one’s body will be treated with care and respect as it is returned to the basic element of water. Upon receiving their remains, you may choose to hold them in an urn in your home, have them interred within a columbarium, or scatter them in a beloved location. Take comfort in knowing that your loved one’s remains were handled carefully, and they have been returned to a meaningful place.