WATER CREMATION AND ITS
environmental impact
—DID YOU KNOW?—
A Quick Comparison
Compared to Burial...
Traditional burial can be meaningful and familiar, but it often requires significant physical resources.
In the United States, conventional burial practices are commonly associated with the annual use of concrete burial vaults, hardwood caskets, metal caskets, cemetery land, and embalming fluid.
Environmental organizations estimate that conventional burial in the U.S. uses approximately
1.6 million tons of concrete,
20 million board feet of hardwood, and
4.3 million gallons of embalming fluid each year. Of that embalming fluid, roughly
827,000 gallons include formaldehyde, methanol, and benzene.
Compared to Cremation...
Flame cremation avoids the land use and many of the materials associated with burial, but it still has an environmental footprint.
One flame cremation is estimated to produce about 534 pounds of carbon dioxide, roughly equivalent to the emissions from driving a typical passenger vehicle about 500 miles.
Flame cremation may also release pollutants associated with combustion, including particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur compounds, volatile organic compounds, and mercury vapor from older dental amalgam fillings.
—AN ALTERNATIVE TO FLAME CREMATION—
Why Florida Families Choose Water Cremation
90% Less Energy
Flame cremation requires sustained high heat, usually powered by fossil fuel. Water cremation uses warmth, water, alkalinity, and circulation instead, which lowers the energy required for the process.
75% Lower Carbon Footprint
Lower energy use means fewer emissions tied to the process. For families who want cremation but are concerned about climate impact, water cremation offers a lower-carbon alternative.
Avoids Combustion Emissions
Because there is no burning, the process avoids direct smoke, soot, and combustion-related air pollutants. It also avoids airborne mercury concerns from older dental fillings exposed to extreme heat.
Reduces Burial Materials
Water cremation does not require a casket, burial vault, or cemetery plot for the process itself. This helps reduce reliance on concrete, hardwood, metal, embalming chemicals, and long-term cemetery land use.
—DID YOU KNOW?—
Frequently Asked Questions
Is water cremation environmentally friendly?
Water cremation is considered a more environmentally friendly alternative to flame cremation and conventional burial. It uses significantly less energy than flame cremation, produces no direct combustion emissions, and does not require a casket, burial vault, or cemetery plot for the process itself.
Is water cremation impact-free for the environment?
It is not impact-free. Water cremation still uses water, electricity, and an alkaline solution. But it's been measured at using 90% less energy than the traditional flame alternative, and the byproduct is sterile. For families looking for a lower-impact cremation option, it offers a practical alternative to fire-based cremation and traditional burial.
Is water cremation better for the environment than flame cremation?
Water cremation generally has a lighter environmental impact than flame cremation because it does not use fire. Flame cremation requires sustained high heat and fuel combustion, which creates carbon emissions and can release air pollutants.
Water cremation uses warm water, alkalinity, and gentle circulation instead. This reduces energy use and avoids direct smoke, soot, and combustion-related emissions from the cremation process.
Does water cremation produce direct combustion emissions?
Water cremation does not produce direct combustion emissions because there is no flame. That means no smoke, soot, or emissions from burning the body.
Like any facility-based process, water cremation still has an indirect environmental footprint from electricity, water use, and equipment operation. The difference is that it avoids the direct air emissions associated with flame cremation.
Does water cremation use a lot of water?
Water is part of the process, but the amount used is modest compared with many ordinary household and commercial uses of water. The environmental benefit of water cremation comes from its lower energy use and the fact that it avoids direct combustion emissions.
What happens to the water during the water cremation process?
At the end of the process, the remaining liquid is a sterile, nutrient-rich solution of water, amino acids, sugars, and salts. The water cremation process destroys all DNA, RNA, pathogens, and contaminants, making the liquid bio-safe, so this nutrient-dense water is typically sent to municipal wastewater treatment systems.
Sometimes families request a small amount to be used as an excellent fertilizer for their personal gardens.
What does the effluent from water cremation look/smell like?
It looks like tea or coffee with cream, and it has a loamy, earthy scent not unlike mushroom soup.
Is the liquid from water cremation safe?
Yes. The liquid byproduct from water cremation is sterile. It does not contain tissue or DNA after the process is complete. It is handled through the wastewater system and receives additional treatment after it leaves the facility.
Does water cremation release mercury from tooth filings, metals, etc?
No.
Older silver-colored dental fillings may contain mercury, which can become an airborne concern when exposed to the extreme heat of flame cremation.
But in the case of water cremation, nothing harmful is reintroduced into our air or water system. Everything that comes out of the vessel is sterile.
Does water cremation pollute the air?
Water cremation does not create smoke, soot, or direct air pollution from combustion. Because the process does not use flame, it avoids many of the air-quality concerns associated with fire-based cremation.
What is generated is steam, and that does not impact our air in any negative way. Its environmental footprint is tied mainly to water, electricity, and the alkaline solution used in the process.
Does water cremation pollute our water?
The quick answer is no, it doesn't.
The liquid remaining after water cremation is sterile and treated through the wastewater system. It contains natural compounds from the body, including salts, amino acids, sugars, and peptides.
Wastewater treatment systems are designed to process organic compounds. The liquid is treated again after it leaves the facility.
Is water cremation safer for the environment than burial?
Water cremation avoids many materials commonly associated with conventional burial, including concrete burial vaults, hardwood or metal caskets, embalming chemicals, and long-term cemetery land use.
For families concerned about land use, resource use, and embalming chemicals, water cremation may offer a lower-impact alternative.
Does water cremation require embalming?
No. Water cremation does not require embalming. Embalming may be chosen for certain viewings or timing circumstances, but it is not necessary for the water cremation process.
Avoiding embalming can reduce the use of formaldehyde-based chemicals often associated with conventional funeral practices.
Is water cremation the same as green burial?
No. Water cremation and green burial are different options.
Green burial usually means burial without embalming, without a concrete vault, and with biodegradable materials. Water cremation is a form of cremation that uses water instead of fire. Both may appeal to families looking for environmentally conscious options, but they are not the same process.
Is water cremation the same as human composting?
No. Water cremation and human composting are different options.
Human composting transform human remains into soil, while water cremation is a form of cremation that uses water instead of fire.
The effluent (water) left over from the water cremation process is nutrient-rich and can be used by families for gardening purposes, though!
