alkaline hydrolysis

12.02.08

Green Until The Very End

An assortment of green burial options, from high-concept to just-plain-gross, are becoming a reality for the environmentally conscious
By Jessica Cheng Posted 05.09.2008 at 6:02 pm 7 Comments

Worried that embalming fluids or emissions from cremation will pollute the earth after your death? There may be a more eco-friendly albeit somewhat grisly alternative—dissolving the body in lye. The process, which has been used to dispose of animals and lab specimens for many years, is now being considered more seriously for human use. Called alkaline hydrolysis, the method uses a steel cylinder that dissolves the body in lye with 300-degree heat and 60 pounds of pressure per square inch. The result is a sterile, coffee-colored liquid with the consistency of motor oil that can be safely poured down the drain. A small amount of bone residue that can be scattered like cementation ashes is the only solid byproduct.

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