Aquamation Vs Cremation

Here at Insurance Funerals, whilst we offer both cremation and aquamation services. The environment and making a difference to the footprint we leave behind is what we want our lasting legacy to be.

With that being said, we want to provide a breakdown on the differences and similarities between water burials and cremation processes.

Cost

We understand that the costs behind saying goodbye to a loved one can often make the process more stressful and harder. With the conversations that need to be had they can lead to difficult decisions being made. A cremation burial method has an average cost of $1,600, whereas an aquamation service has an average cost of $2,000. This is where we come in and can help reduce the burden of these cost’s, by pre-planning and having these conversations with loved ones ahead of time. We can help reduce the financial burden when it comes to the times that you should be focussing on saying buy to your loved ones.

Environmental Impact

This is something that we have covered extensively before but it cannot be stated enough. We all need to do more to reduce the carbon footprint on the planet, especially whilst we are alive and have a chance to make change. One of the easier ways to make a difference is to choose a green burial method.

The Cremation process is carried out at heat between 1400 and 2100 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure the body tissues are broken down. One of the harmful by products of this process is the release of mercury from dental fillings during the process as well. Compare this to aquamation, which uses 90% less energy and produces 35% less emissions from the slower gentler process.

It is also worth touching upon here, and dispelling some myths around water burials. During the process the water solution gradually breaks down the soft body tissues which goes into the water. The water is considered completely safe and natural and therefore there are no issues with releasing the water back into the treatment system.

Additional Costs

There are no hidden costs with aquamation, due to the lack of additional equipment you need (no casket required, for example). As we will touch upon later, with aquamation you are provided the deceased’s ashes after the process and that is pretty much it. However, with a casket burial, there are some additional costs that come into it such as having to purchase the casket that would be used for the heat process.

Another potential additional cost is whether the deceased has a pacemaker fitted on them, as the funeral home may charge extra to remove it depending on the burial method. If fitted with one and choosing cremation it is best to inform the funeral home with who you are having the service as they can cause explosions during the process. There is no such issue if choosing the water burial method.

Size of Urn

With an Aquamation burial, you are left with around 20-30% more ashes. This is an added benefit for those that have requested to have their ashes spread in multiple meaningful areas to them. For advice on what size urn you should purchase, speak to your funeral home to ensure you pick one out that is the right size.

The difference in ashes

This may not be widely known, but the ashes from an aquamation burial are different to those of a cremation.

The ashes during a cremation tend to be fairly coarse and a greyish colour. The same can not be said for water burial ashes with the ash being a much finer and whiter powder.

Accessibility

The one unmistakeable plus for cremation is its accessibility throughout the USA (and the world). Available and legal in all states, anyone looking for a cremation burial will be able to choose one. The same can not be said for aquamation burials, which are currently only legal in around 20 states (with many more pushing for legislation changes it should be said). The other consideration to take in to account is that not all states have the facilities to carry out water burials. For example, as covered in our recent blog post, Maryland which legalised water burials in 2010 currently does not have the capabilities to do so.