Tracker: Where Is Alkaline Hydrolysis Legal In The US?

Note: The table on this page is kept up to date as a guide to where alkaline hydrolysis is legal in the US. Legislative changes are monitored and this page can be considered an accurate reference point.

Green funeral options are growing in popularity and availability. As the reality of the climate crisis sets in, more people are concerned about their final environmental impact on the planet.

One eco-friendly funeral option is alkaline hydrolysis. First legalized in a US state just after the turn of the 21st century, alkaline hydrolysis has frequently been met with approval by legislators however the process hasn’t found wide popularity with the public.

Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in a number of states towards the beginning of the last decade. While the legislative landscape is now not moving as quickly as it is for human composting, bills to legalize alkaline hydrolysis have passed as recently as 2020.

What is alkaline hydrolysis?

Alkaline hydrolysis is an environmentally-friendly alternative to burial and cremation. This disposition method typically uses heat, pressure, water and lye in a dedicated hydrolysis chamber. The end product is a benign liquid known as hydrolysate.

The process uses a large quantity of water and is therefore sometimes known as ‘water cremation’. Alkaline hydrolysis is also referred to by other names, including "aquamation’, ‘resomation’, "biocremation’ and "flameless cremation’. Read about the process in this alkaline hydrolysis explainer.

Where is alkaline hydrolysis legal?

Alkaline hydrolysis was first legalized by Minnesota in 2003. Since about 27 other states have legalized the process.

In many of these states there are no alkaline hydrolysis facilities, even though the process is legal. This means it can be difficult to choose the process in the United States.

About Earth

At Earth, we provide soil transformation services. Like alkaline hydrolysis, this is an environmentally-friendly alternative to cremation and traditional burial.

Also known as human composting or natural organic reduction, soil transformation gently transforms a body into nutrient-rich soil. Families choose how much soil they'd like returned - to scatter or plant - with the remainder sent to local conservation sites for land restoration purposes.

If you are interested in sustainable funeral practice, you can read about our services or get an instant online quote.

If you found this tracker table useful, we have another showing the legal status of soil transformation and the progress of relevant bills across the US.