Services

Resomation

Over the years, there have been two primary options for end-of-life plans: burial and cremation. With the growing awareness of our impact on the environment, there is a rising need for more eco-friendly alternatives. Resomation funerals offer a familiar service, but instead of fire, water is used to break down the body into its natural elements. Similar to traditional cremation, you will still receive an urn with the ashes of your loved one.

However, once the body is committed an entirely different process begins. The resomation tank, known as a resomator, is in fact a special type of pressure chamber that allows a body to be immersed in a special solution of potash lye and water – a process also known as alkaline hydrolysis. Gas powered steam generators than build the pressure inside the tank until the temperature rises to the required level and a chemical reaction takes place that separates the body into two distinct substances, usually over a period of three to four hours. These substances are an ash, consisting of calcium phosphate from the bones, and a bio-fluid that’s made up of salts, sugars, peptides and amino acids. While the fluid is drained off and disposed of, the ash can be collected and either kept in an urn or scattered, much like what happens currently following a cremation. This liquid is free of any genetic material.

There is only one Resomarium in Ireland called Pure Reflections. Pure Reflections are based in Navan, Co. Meath.