Humanity’s impact on the environment has greatly increased in the past decades, and the world is becoming more and more aware of this. Many people are trying to mitigate their own personal environmental impact, and there are many ways to do so. You can even lower your footprint with your choice of final arrangements and body disposition. For many years, traditional burial and cremation have been the only options. Now, however, aquamation services near New Hanover County, NC, are becoming more and more popular, and their environmental impact is minimal.

To begin with, let’s consider the traditional methods of disposition, which are traditional burial and cremation. Traditional burial is problematic for the environment in several different ways. First of all, it requires large amounts of land, and overcrowded cemeteries are becoming increasingly common. Second, the harmful chemicals used in embalming can negatively affect the soil. Additionally, caskets are made from valuable resources that are not able to be utilized after being buried underground. Some of these materials will never break down. Additionally, many caskets are made with wood that is treated with harmful chemicals, which are released into the soil upon burial.

Cremation services are somewhat more eco-friendly than burial, because they do not use the harmful chemicals and resources that burial requires. Cremation also does not necessarily require land usage, unless the ashes are to be buried. However, even in this case, they will take up much less space than a full-sized casket. Cremation does come with its negative aspects, though. The combustion process releases harmful greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. These are known to contribute to climate change, which is a growing problem for our planet.

Aquamation is similar to cremation in a few ways, but rather than using fire, it uses water and an alkaline solution. The body is placed in a stainless-steel vessel, which is then filled with the water solution. As the water is heated and circulated, the reaction begins. After a time, all that will remain is the bone ash, similar to cremation. The water that is left contains harmless substances such as amino acids, sugars, salts, and soap. It can be safely released back into the water system via a wastewater-treatment plant. If the person has any dental amalgams containing harmful metals, these are removed and recycled properly. The same goes for any internal medical devices, such as a pacemaker. There are no harmful byproducts, making aquamation by far the greenest means of body disposition. Loved ones receive back the bone ashes in a temporary urn, with the option of purchasing a permanent urn.

As we look to the future, we must consider the impact that our choices make on our planet. One of the ways we can improve our footprint is by choosing aquamation services near New Hanover County, NC. It is a gentle process that brings the body back to its base elements of water and skeletal remains. It does not release harmful chemicals into the air or soil. If you care about the planet and want to help protect it for future generations, you may want to consider aquamation for your final arrangements.