Aquamation vs. Cremation: Which Option Is Right for Your Family?

When making end-of-life arrangements, families may compare aquamation and traditional cremation. Understanding their processes, environmental considerations, costs, and memorial options can help families make an informed decision.

McCormack Aquamation, Burial & Cremation Services offers both aquamation and cremation in Sarnia, Lambton County, along with burial options.

What Is Aquamation? Understanding the Process

Aquamation, also called water cremation, uses water, heat, and an alkaline solution to accelerate natural decomposition. The process takes place in a sealed chamber under controlled conditions without any direct flame.

Important points include:

• Process: Water, heat, gentle flow and alkalinity break down organic material.
  

• Remains: Bone material is recovered, dried, and processed before being returned to the family. Aquamation can yield up to 30% more Aquamated remains, which are white in colour, and flour like in texture.
  

• Memorial options: Families may choose urns, keepsakes, scattering, or other arrangements, no different than cremation options in the past.
  

Understanding the process can help families determine whether aquamation aligns with their preferences.

What Is Cremation? Understanding the Traditional Cremation Process

Traditional cremation uses fire and inside a cremation chamber to reduce the body to bone fragments. These fragments are then processed into a consistent form commonly referred to as cremated remains.

Key considerations include:

• Heat-based process: Heat-based process: Cremation relies on fire, high temperatures and fossil fuels rather than water-based decomposition.
  

• Returned remains: Processed bone fragments are returned to the family. They can be grey to dark in colour, and granular in texture.
  

• Memorial choices: Families may consider keepsakes, urn placement, scattering, or other tributes.

Knowing how traditional flame cremation works makes the differences between the two options easier to compare.

Is Aquamation More Environmentally Friendly than Cremation?

Aquamation does not use direct flame and generally uses less energy than flame-based cremation. No green house gases are released and no casket, or cremation container are needed. Ontario produces 92% clean energy, and all our equipment is electrical.

Families may compare:

• Emissions: Aquamation avoids combustion emissions associated with flame-based cremation.
  

• Resource use: Water and energy are used. Aquamation relies mostly on clean energy, and not fossil fuels. An ecofriendly solution is returned back to the environment at the conclusion.
  

• Green funeral options: Environmental practices can also influence the decision.

Considering these factors can help families weigh environmental priorities alongside other arrangements.

Are Aquamation Remains Similar to Cremated Ashes?

Both processes primarily result in processed bone material. Following aquamation, the recovered bone material is dried and processed into a substance that can be placed in an urn or used for memorial purposes.

Families may wish to discuss the appearance and texture of the remains with their provider before making a decision.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Between Aquamation and Cremation

When comparing Aquamation and cremation in Sarnia, Lambton County, families may consider several practical and personal factors:

Important factors may include:

• Cost: Prices can vary based on the provider, location, and selected arrangements.
  

• Environmental impact: Consider water use, energy requirements, and emissions.
  

• Memorial plans: Consider keeping, scattering, interring, creating a keepsake, or arranging life celebrations to honour and remember the deceased.

Considering these factors can make the decision more manageable.

Making an Informed Aftercare Decision

Comparing aquamation and cremation allows families to consider their preferred process, costs, environmental priorities, and memorial plans. McCormack Aquamation, Burial & Cremation Services serves communities across Southwestern Ontario, including Middlesex, Lambton County, Huron, Perth, Oxford, Essex, Elgin, and Chatham-Kent.

Contact us to discuss our aquamation and cremation services in Sarnia, Lambton County. You can also fill out our form to arrange our services online.