Disposal of Remains: So Many Options!

It's not just burial or cremation anymore.

One of the genuinely interesting parts of our job is learning what people want done with their remains, and the options have expanded well beyond what most people realize.

Alkaline hydrolysis (water cremation, essentially) dissolves the body gently and returns a finer, whiter ash than flame cremation. There's also a Japanese version that uses steam and lower heat for a slower, more intentional process. Natural burial wraps you in a shroud and lets you decompose back into the earth with no embalming, no concrete vault. Human composting, now legal in California, turns remains into soil amendment in about 30 days. Your ashes can be compressed into a gemstone (sapphire, ruby, diamond) that a family member can actually wear. You can be pressed into a vinyl record. You can be launched into space. You can become a reef. And then there's donation to science, which costs nothing, serves medical education and research, and often includes cremation and return of remains afterward.

What we've noticed is that clients tend to fall into one of two camps on this topic. Either they've already researched everything, have strong opinions, and are relieved someone finally asked, or they've never thought about it at all and didn't realize there was anything to think about.

Either way, it's worth considering whether your wishes belong in your plan. If you have a preference, the people you leave behind will be in a much better position if it's documented and not just something you mentioned once at dinner.