Alkaline hydrolysis is a process for the disposal of human remains, which its creator states is more ecologically favorable than cremation. The process is being marketed worldwide as an alternative to the traditional options of burial or cremation. As of August 2007, about 1,000 people had chosen this method for the disposition of their remains in the United States.
Most sources cite the British company "Resomation Limited" as the driving force behind the procedure; the company has a pending patent on the procedure and owns the international trademark on the word "Resomator". Resomation Ltd. is 65% owned by The Co-operative Group, who also own the largest funeral home business in the UK.
In the alkaline hydrolysis disposal process, the body is placed in a silk bag, itself placed within a metal cage frame. This is then loaded into a Resomator. The machine is filled with a mixture of water and lye, and heated to a high temperature (around 160°C ), but at a high pressure, which prevents boiling. Instead, the body is effectively broken down into its chemical components, which takes about three hours.
The end result is a quantity of green-brown tinted liquid (containing amino acids, peptides, sugars and salts) and soft, porous white bone remains (calcium phosphate) easily crushed in the hand (although a cremulator is more commonly used) to form a white-colored dust. The "ash" can then be returned to the next of kin of the deceased. The liquid is disposed of either through the sanitary sewer system, or through some other method including use in a garden or green space. This alkaline hydrolysis process is currently being championed by a number of ecological campaigning groups, for using less energy and producing less carbon dioxide and pollutants than cremation. It is being presented as an alternative option at some British crematorium sites.