Latest news with #CoopFuneralcare
Sky News
a day ago
- Health
- Sky News
Water cremation and human composting could be offered instead of traditional funerals
Water cremation and human composting could soon be offered as an alternative to traditional funerals. A Law Commission consultation is proposing legal approval of new methods beyond burial, cremation, and the rarely used burial at sea. The paper published earlier this week highlights two methods used in other countries - alkaline hydrolysis and human composting. Alkaline hydrolysis - also known as water cremation or resomation - involves placing a person's body into woollen shroud or other organic pouch, using water, alkaline chemicals, heat and pressure to break down the tissue. The resulting liquid is checked and treated if necessary to enter the wastewater system, while remaining pieces of bone and teeth are dried and can be ground to a powder and scattered like ashes. Water cremation, which mimics the process of natural decomposition when someone is buried, takes between four and 14 hours. The method, which has been suggested as a greener alternative to traditional cremation, was used for the bodies of five dead people in 2019, as part of a study facilitated by Middlesex and Sheffield universities. Anti-apartheid campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who died in 2021, chose resomation for his own funeral in South Africa. Co-op Funeralcare said it hoped to offer the service in the UK in 2023 but backed out because of the current regulations. The firm welcomed the Law Commission review, which will run until spring next year, ending in a final report and draft Bill. New funerary methods are not currently regulated, other than by more general legislation such as environmental and planning laws. Provisional proposals suggest a legal framework to enable new methods to be regulated in the future. A Co-op Funeralcare spokesperson said: "At Co-op Funeralcare, we are committed to serving the needs of our member-owners and clients and offering the most sustainable and affordable services. "In 2023, we announced our ambition to pilot resomation in the UK, and we subsequently worked closely with government to explore the regulatory requirements to introduce this service across the nation. "However, we did not proceed with this as, at the time, we were unable to find a path through the current regulatory framework. "We welcome the Law Commission's review and encourage exploration into alternative methods that provide consumers with greater choice and deliver environmental benefits." The consultation paper also highlights human composting, where a body is placed into a sealed chamber, or vessel, with carbon-rich organic matter, such as straw and wood chips, to enable quicker decomposition. The process takes around two to three months and resulting soil can be returned to bereaved loved ones. Other methods involving the freezing of human remains have also been suggested, although none have them are yet viable, according to the paper.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Water cremation and human composting could be offered instead of traditional funerals
Water cremation and human composting could soon be offered as an alternative to traditional funerals. A Law Commission consultation is proposing legal approval of new methods beyond burial, cremation, and the rarely used burial at sea. The paper published earlier this week highlights two methods used in other countries - alkaline hydrolysis and human composting. Alkaline hydrolysis - also known as water cremation or resomation - involves placing a person's body into woollen shroud or other organic pouch, using water, alkaline chemicals, heat and pressure to break down the tissue. The resulting liquid is checked and treated if necessary to enter the wastewater system, while remaining pieces of bone and teeth are dried and can be ground to a powder and scattered like ashes. Water cremation, which mimics the process of natural decomposition when someone is buried, takes between four and 14 hours. The method, which has been suggested as a greener alternative to traditional cremation, was used for the bodies of five dead people in 2019, as part of a study facilitated by Middlesex and Sheffield universities. Anti-apartheid campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who died in 2021, chose resomation for his own funeral in South Africa. Read more: Co-op Funeralcare said it hoped to offer the service in the UK in 2023 but backed out because of the current regulations. The firm welcomed the Law Commission review, which will run until spring next year, ending in a final report and draft Bill. New funerary methods are not currently regulated, other than by more general legislation such as environmental and planning laws. Provisional proposals suggest a legal framework to enable new methods to be regulated in the future. A Co-op Funeralcare spokesperson said: "At Co-op Funeralcare, we are committed to serving the needs of our member-owners and clients and offering the most sustainable and affordable services. "In 2023, we announced our ambition to pilot resomation in the UK, and we subsequently worked closely with government to explore the regulatory requirements to introduce this service across the nation. "However, we did not proceed with this as, at the time, we were unable to find a path through the current regulatory framework. "We welcome the Law Commission's review and encourage exploration into alternative methods that provide consumers with greater choice and deliver environmental benefits." The consultation paper also highlights human composting, where a body is placed into a sealed chamber, or vessel, with carbon-rich organic matter, such as straw and wood chips, to enable quicker decomposition. The process takes around two to three months and resulting soil can be returned to bereaved loved ones. Other methods involving the freezing of human remains have also been suggested, although none have them are yet viable, according to the paper.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Yahoo
Community pays tribute to tragic schoolgirl on her ‘final journey'
Mourners have lined the streets to bid farewell to a tragic six-year-old schoolgirl as she completed her 'final journey' in the company of her favourite cartoon characters. Hope Gordon was found dead alongside her 36-year-old father Mark at a house in West Calder on January 20. Police said they are treating her death as murder, while her father's death is not being treated as suspicious. On Monday – what Hope's bereaved family have called 'Hope's Day' – a private family service in Coop Funeralcare in Livingston was followed by a procession to the town's Adambrae Cemetery. Despite the chilly temperatures mourners turned out in force to line the roadside, some carrying flowers which they threw onto the horse-drawn hearse as it went past. Hope's coffin was decorated with characters from Paw Patrol, her favourite cartoon, and the hearse followed a car carrying a Paw Patrol floral tribute provided by her Auntie Tess. The ornate white hearse was pulled by two white horses, each draped in a white cloth and with blue and yellow feathers affixed to their heads in an evocation of the Paw Patrol colours. The hearse was followed by a close family friend dressed as Chase, a character from the animated series, with cars bearing members of Hope's family close behind. The procession was headed by a piper in full Highland dress, who piped the schoolgirl on what a social media post on behalf of her family described as 'Hope's final journey'. A poem that Hope's Auntie Tess wrote about her was included as part of the family service. A fundraising page launched by family friend Melanie Wheeldon to help cover the cost of Hope's Day raised more than £10,000 – more than five times its original £2,000 target. In a statement posted on the page, named 'in memory of Hope', Ms Wheeldon said: 'On January 20 2025, our hearts shattered as we learned of the tragic and senseless murder of six-year-old Hope. 'Hope was a vibrant and loving little girl, known for her infectious smile, kind spirit and deep love for animals. 'Hope's life was tragically cut short, leaving a void in the hearts of her family and friends that can never be filled.'
