Modern society likes to keep pushing the boundaries and newer ‘greener’ options are starting to emerge (cremated ashes are pretty much devoid of major nutrients). One is ‘resomation’, which involves alkaline hydrolysis. The body is placed into a vat with water and lye (caustic soda or sodium hydroxide) and heated to 160°C under high pressure for about three hours. This breaks down the body tissues into a greenish-brown liquid, rich in amino acids, peptides and salts. The remaining brittle bones are reduced to powder (principally calcium hydroxyapatite) by a cremulator and can then be scattered
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