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New funerary methods

New funerary methods are being developed in England and Wales and elsewhere, but there is currently no regulatory framework for their use.

Main project: Burial, cremation, and new funerary methods

Problem (Back to top)

Burial and cremation are currently used in England and Wales but companies are also developing new funerary methods. These include: 

  • alkaline hydrolysis, which uses water and alkaline chemicals, and heat, to break down a body into a sterile liquid and bone fragments
  • human composting, which involves keeping a body in a controlled environment so that remains are broken down into soil much more quickly than in a burial. 

Both of these methods are in use in other jurisdictions, particularly in the US. At the time of our Thirteenth Programme of Law Reform, human composting was still in development. New methods which are now at the concept stage may become a reality in future years.  

In England and Wales, new funerary methods are currently unregulated, other than by laws which apply more generally such as environmental and planning law. Stakeholders have told us that they want a regulatory framework so that they can operate securely and conscientiously, unlock investment, and offer greater consumer choice. 

Project (Back to top)

Background

This project forms part of a wide-ranging review into Burial, Cremation and New Funerary Methods.

Due to scope, we have split this initial programme of work into 3 different projects. You can find information about these other projects in the related projects section on this page.

About

The project will consider what the law should require of new methods in order to regulate them, factoring in concerns such as the dignity of the dead, environmental and public health concerns. It will consider what an appropriate regulatory framework might look like, how that might interact with death registration, and the rules in relation to remains from new methods.  

The project started at the beginning of 2024 and will run until spring 2026. It will end with a final report and draft Bill.

Documents (Back to top)

There are no documents published as part of this project currently.

Updates (Back to top)

There are no updates on this project currently.

Contact (Back to top)

Related projects (Back to top)

Burial and cremation

Rights and obligations