General information from a recorded webinar, not legal advice for your situation.

What is water cremation?

Quick answer · 0:54 · From Natural Options at the End of Life: Green Burial, Water Cremation & More · Recorded Oct 22, 2026

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Short answer

Water cremation, or alkaline hydrolysis, uses water and potassium hydroxide instead of flame. It has about 10% of the carbon footprint of flame cremation, uses an eighth of the energy, and returns 25% to 30% more remains to the family. Direct cremation prices are about the same as flame cremation, sometimes a little higher.

Key points

  • Also called flameless cremation or aquamation.
  • Captures dental mercury instead of releasing it.
  • Compare providers on direct cremation pricing.

Angela Woosley, M.A.Mortician and end-of-life doula, Inspired Journeys · Guest presenter

Read this part of the transcript

Most folks have heard of flame cremation, but water cremation is a little bit newer. You also might have heard water cremation called flameless cremation, maybe alkaline hydrolysis, which is its technical scientific name, or you might have heard the trademark names Green Cremation, Resomation, or Aquamation. Those are all terms for the exact same process that is a parallel process to flame cremation that has 10% of the carbon footprint, uses an eighth of the energy because it’s not using natural gas to fuel the process. It sequesters dental mercury and silver amalgam fillings instead of vaporizing that mercury into the atmosphere. And because nothing is going up a chimney, we’re actually able to recover and return 25% to 30% more of a person’s cremated remains to their family.

Created automatically from the recording. Full transcript on the webinar page.

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