Tracker: Where Is Alkaline Hydrolysis Legal In The US?
By: Team Earth
Feb 02, 2023 | Green Funeral Practice
3 min readNote: 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 then almost 20 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.
| US State | Legal Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Alabama |
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Alabama since 2017 |
Alaska |
No law yet |
|
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Arizona since 2023 |
|
Arkansas |
No law yet |
|
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in California since 2017. Natural organic reduction is also legal in California |
|
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Colorado since 2011. Natural organic reduction is also legal in Colorado |
|
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis is legal in Connecticut as per the Substitute Senate Bill No. 142 |
|
No law yet |
||
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Florida since 2010 |
|
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Georgia since 2012 |
|
Hawaii |
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Hawaii since 2022 |
Idaho |
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Idaho since 2014 |
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Illinois since 2012 |
|
Indiana |
No law yet |
|
Iowa |
No law yet |
|
Kansas |
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Kansas since 2010 |
Kentucky |
No law yet |
|
Louisiana |
No law yet |
|
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Maine since 2009 |
|
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Maryland since 2011 |
|
No law yet |
||
Legal |
While not currently regulated, aquamation appears to be available in Michigan |
|
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Minnesota since 2003 |
|
Mississippi |
No law yet |
|
Missouri |
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis is legal in Missouri, with the term 'cremation' interpreted to include alkaline hydrolysis |
Montana |
No law yet |
|
Nebraska |
No law yet |
|
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Nevada since 2017 |
|
Previously legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis was previously legal in New Hampshire, but the law was repealed. A new bill to legalize the process failed in 2013 |
|
No law yet |
||
New Mexico |
No law yet |
|
No law yet |
Natural organic reduction is legal in New York |
|
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in North Carolina since 2018 |
|
North Dakota |
No law yet |
Alkaline hydrolysis is legal in North Dakota |
No law yet |
||
Oklahoma |
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Oklahoma since 2021 |
Oregon |
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Oregon since 2009. Natural organic reduction is also legal in Oregon |
No law yet |
||
No law yet |
||
South Carolina |
No law yet |
|
South Dakota |
No law yet |
|
Tennessee |
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Tennessee since 2013 |
No law yet |
||
Utah |
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Utah since 2018 |
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Vermont since 2014. Natural organic reduction is also legal in Vermont |
|
Pending |
Bill passed to legalize alkaline hydrolysis in Virginia in 2023 |
|
Washington |
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Washington since 2020. Natural organic reduction is also legal in Washington |
No law yet |
||
West Virginia |
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis is legal in West Virginia |
No law yet |
||
Wyoming |
Legal |
Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Wyoming since 2014 |
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.
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Green Grieving: Eco-Therapy, Coping with Loss and Finding Solace in Nature
How to Talk to Your Family About Funeral Planning
