Bio cremation is a new way of cremating the body. The body is enveloped in a biodegradable fabric and placed on a tray in a stainless steel cylinder inside of a machine called a resomator. The cylinder is filled with an alkaline water solution which is heated up to about 300 degrees and put under pressure to keep it from boiling. The process takes about 3 hours.
After the water is drained, the remaining bones are put through a cremulator, just like in a traditional cremation, and they are reduced to ash before the remains are returned to the family.
Bio cremation uses about one eighth of the energy compared to a cremation process using fire and oxygen. It does not have the air emissions or pollutants of the traditional cremation. You do not have to remove the pacemakers which can be recycled, along with any metal pieces from artificial joints or dental work.
Bio cremation is now legal in Oregon, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, and Florida. Legislation is pending in more states. It still needs local approval and permits in order to be practiced in your community.
The chemical process that takes place, alkaline hydrolysis, is the same process that would occur naturally if the body was buried in a shallow grave. This machine is used to speed the process up. Mayo Clinic has been using this process since 2003 for bodies that have been donated to medical research.
