Two Methods — One Decision
Flame Cremation vs. Aquamation
When it’s time to choose how your companion’s remains are cared for, there are two primary methods: traditional flame cremation and water-based aquamation. This guide explains the science, cost, timeline, and environmental impact of each — so you can make the choice that feels right.
Before You Choose a Method
When Your Pet Passes at Home
In the most difficult moment, we don’t want you to be taken advantage of — or left without help. Here’s what you need to know.
What Won’t Help
Wildlife & Critter Removal Companies
Your first instinct might be to call a removal service. But most wildlife and critter removal companies will not pick up a household pet. They handle wild animals — raccoons, opossums, birds — not beloved family companions. Calling them at 2 a.m. in tears leads to a “sorry, we can’t help” at the worst possible time.
Who You Actually Need
Dedicated Pet Aftercare Providers
These are the providers who answer at 4 a.m. They come to your home, handle your companion with dignity, and walk you through your options — cremation method, memorial keepsakes, timeline. No pressure, no upselling. They do this because it’s their calling, not a side job.
Step by Step
How Each Method Works
Preparation
Your companion is placed in a stainless steel chamber filled with a warm alkaline solution (95% water, 5% potassium hydroxide).
Hydrolysis
The solution is gently heated to 200–300°F (93–150°C). Over 6–20 hours, alkaline hydrolysis naturally breaks down organic tissue into its basic components — amino acids, peptides, sugars, and salts.
What remains
Bone mineral (hydroxyapatite — calcium phosphate) is unaffected by the alkaline solution and remains fully intact.
Processing
Bone minerals are dried and processed into a fine white powder. You receive 20–30% more remains than flame cremation, because more mineral content is preserved at lower temperatures.
Return
Remains are placed in your chosen urn or container and returned to you, typically within 3–7 business days.
Side-by-Side
Cost, Timeline & Environmental Impact
The Science
What Happens at the Molecular Level
Flame Cremation
At 1,400–1,800°F, organic compounds undergo oxidation — the same chemical reaction as fire. Carbon in tissue combines with oxygen to form CO₂. Hydrogen forms water vapor. Nitrogen forms nitrogen oxides. The process requires sustained combustion of natural gas (~2.4 million BTUs per cremation, per CANA). Bone mineral — primarily hydroxyapatite, Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂ — survives but loses some mass to calcination at these temperatures.
Aquamation
At 200–300°F in alkaline solution (pH ~14), hydrolysis breaks peptide bonds in proteins, cleaving them into amino acids and small peptides. Fats undergo saponification — conversion into salts and glycerol (the same reaction that makes soap). DNA denatures and fragments. Bone mineral (hydroxyapatite) is chemically inert in alkaline solution and remains fully intact, which is why you receive more remains.
The foundational chemistry is well-established: Whitaker (1980) documented protein modification under hydroxide conditions; Radzicka & Wolfenden (1996) quantified peptide bond hydrolysis rates in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Environmental Impact
What the Research Shows
Carbon Emissions
CANA reports that a single flame cremation produces approximately 534 pounds of CO₂, equivalent to one tank of gas in a sedan or powering a 3-bedroom home for one week. Aquamation produces no direct CO₂ emissions — there is no combustion. The only carbon footprint comes from the electricity used to heat the water and run the equipment.
Life Cycle Assessment
The most comprehensive environmental comparison was conducted by TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Research) in 2011, led by researcher Elisabeth Keijzer. The study assessed burial, cremation, and alkaline hydrolysis across 18 environmental impact categories. Alkaline hydrolysis scored better in 17 of 18 categories — the exception being water consumption. The study found alkaline hydrolysis produces approximately 7 times less CO₂ than flame cremation.
Note: This study was commissioned by Yarden, a Dutch funeral services company. TNO is an independent research institute (comparable to a national laboratory), but the funding source should be noted. We are not aware of a fully independent replication of these specific figures.
Water & Effluent
Aquamation uses approximately 300 gallons of water per cycle. The resulting solution is sterile, pH-neutralized to 6.5–7.5 before discharge, and composed of amino acids, salts, sugars, and saponified fats. It is processed through standard municipal wastewater treatment systems. The National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health (NCCEH), a Canadian government-funded body, published an evidence review in 2023 noting that regulatory frameworks for effluent discharge are evolving but that the solution is compatible with standard wastewater processing.
A Note on the Evidence
We believe in transparency. The environmental claims commonly made about aquamation — particularly the “90% less energy” figure — trace primarily to a single technical report (Keijzer/TNO, 2011) funded by a funeral services company. The fundamental chemistry is well-established in peer-reviewed literature, but the specific energy and emissions comparisons for body disposition have surprisingly little independent, peer-reviewed validation.
What we can say with confidence: aquamation involves no combustion, produces no direct airborne emissions, operates at significantly lower temperatures, and preserves more bone mineral. The directional environmental advantage is clear. The precise magnitude of that advantage deserves more independent research.
Both flame cremation and aquamation are dignified, respectful options for caring for your companion. We present this information to help you make an informed decision — not to suggest one choice is right and the other wrong.
Sources
Our Research
Every claim on this page is traceable to a specific source. Click any reference to see the full citation.
Your pet deserves a provider who understands.
Search by location to find dedicated pet aftercare providers near you — including those offering aquamation, private cremation, home pickup, and memorial services.