Treating the Body After Death
The decision of what one is to do with their body upon their death is an important one.
There are many personal, practical and cultural factors that come into play in choosing how you will opt to have your body treated; each of which are critical in this process. Thinking about what will happen to your body can be emotionally overwhelming, after all, it’s not exactly fun to imagine what will take place when you no longer exist. However, it’s critical to remember that making these hard choices now will make your death just slightly easier for those you love, at least in a logistical sense.
When processing the intense thoughts and emotions that come with early grief, anything that will make tasks, such as funeral planning, a bit simpler is a kindness you can give upon your death. If not for the people you love and leave behind, then make this choice so your body disposition matches who you are as a person. Here are some options that are to be considered; some you know about, and others may be completely new and
The Most Common Methods
Burial
As you may know, a traditional burial is one in which a body is situated in a casket, placed into a dug-up burial plot in the ground and covered with earth. There is also the option to “entomb” the remains, which is when the body is laid in a casket and placed in a section of a wall and sealed; the large areas that house these bodies are known as mausoleums or crypts. When it comes to these types of burial, there are many factors to consider. If your burial is occurring at a cemetery, are there any religious requirements that need to be met? Will you need to purchase a plot? What kind of casket will you purchase? How will the headstone be designed? Where will a funeral service be held? Many of these same questions can apply similarly to entombment, such as, will you need to purchase a space in a mausoleum? Religion plays a significant role in the decision-making process of a burial. For example, Jewish people are traditionally buried in caskets that are not composed of any metal. Additionally, many cemeteries can belong to a specific faith, so this needs to be kept in mind when solidifying a location.
Cremation
Flame-based cremation has become increasingly popular around the world in the past century. This process works by using hot flames to reduce remains into bone fragments, which is done in a machine called a cremator. After this, the bone fragments, now called cremated remains, are pulverized into a finer powder-like state, which is returned to the loved ones of the deceased. This type of cremation is the most popular and is available through most funeral homes. Cremation is authorized in a variety of faiths; for example, the Canon Law now allows for Roman Catholics to use cremation. Some faiths encourage cremation as an option, such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Other faiths, such as Islam, Greek Orthodox and Jewish Orthodox forbid this process. Once the cremated remains are acquired by the authorized agent, there are many options for storage of the remains. The most common options include storage in an urn, whether this is in the home or at a columbarium, which is a site for the display of urns in a crypt, funeral home or crematorium site. The remains can also be scattered outside or even turned into jewelry, which is becoming an increasingly popular form of storage and memorial.
Body Donation
Some may opt to donate sections of their body or their entire body for a variety of uses. The most widely known form of donation is medical organ donation after death. Organs such as the heart, liver, lungs, small bowel, stomach, etc., can be donated; unfortunately, only 1-2% of people who die in hospital can be considered for donation. However, most people can be considered for tissue donation. It is important to note that organ/tissue donation is only considered when all life-saving efforts have failed and the surgery is done with the same care as any other surgery, so you wouldn’t be able to tell a difference at an open-casket funeral. There is also the option to choose a whole-body donation for the advancement of science. In this instance, you may fill out a consent form available from any School of Anatomy ahead of time or as per the Gift of Life Act in Ontario, specify this in writing or in front of 2 or more witnesses prior to death. Doing so can help train future medical professionals or provide critical practical application of ground-breaking research. These schools typically hold Services of Gratitude, where loved ones of the deceased are invited to join in honouring and remembering the generosity of the body donors.
Newer, "Alternative" Methods
Green Burial
A green burial, or a natural burial, is a burial that occurs with no chemicals and has a minimum negative effect on the surrounding environment. These bodies are typically wrapped in a shroud, which is a large cloth, or placed in a simple wooden casket. There are even “mushroom shrouds” that are available in some places, which is a specialized shroud that contains embedded mushroom spores that accelerate the decomposition of the body. Additionally, the remains are not allowed to be embalmed. Embalming is a process in which preserving chemicals are injected into the circulatory system of the deceased, replacing the blood, which helps to delay decomposition significantly. In general, green burials seek to minimize the environmental effects that other body disposition may have and is frequently a more economically friendly option as well. With growing concern for the climate crisis, more people are aware of how their everyday actions impact the Earth in life, but this also applies in death. However, some cemeteries may not allow green burials, so it is important to seek out dedicated conservation burial grounds that are happy to assist with this process.
Human Composting
Human composting has gained significant media attention since its legalization in states such as Washington (in 2019) and California (in 2022). Human composting is an accelerated kind of decomposition, where the remains are placed in a sort of “container” with wood chips, alfalfa and straw. With a steady supply of oxygen, microbial activity is heightened, which results in the breakdown of organic material, aka the deceased. After a month, the contents of the container will be turned into a mound of soil which will be returned to the family or given to a conservation group. A major environmental factor for choosing this option is that the microbial activity can assist in neutralizing toxins created from the liquefication of internal organs in the decomposition process that would otherwise kill vegetation around the body for over a year. Anyone who has had a prior disease is not eligible due to the toxicity it can cause in life forms in the area. Some religious organizations do not approve of this method of body disposition, but there is hope that once more people partake in this process and the environmental benefit is clear, some may change their minds.
Aquamation
Aquamation, also known as alkaline hydrolysis, is a type of cremation that is somewhat similar to flame-based cremation. This process uses water, heat, alkaline chemicals and pressure to accelerate decomposition, leaving behind bone fragments and a neutral liquid called effluent. This decomposition process is the same as one that would occur in a burial, but the process is sped up significantly. The effluent is completely safe and sterile, mainly composed of salts, sugars, amino acids and peptides, which can join other wastewater. Aquamation is viewed as a “gentler” process and is more environmentally friendly since it uses significantly less fuel and has a lower carbon footprint than both flame-based cremation and traditional burial. Although this process was patented in 1888, the process has only been truly utilized and legalized as of late. It is currently legal for humans in five Canadian provinces and territories (Ontario included), and is legal in all provinces and territories for pets.
Want to learn more?
Books
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - Mary Roach
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory - Caitlin Doughty
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Videos
ECO-DEATH TAKEOVER: Changing the Funeral Industry - Ask A Mortician
Mortician Answers Dead Body Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED - Wired
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Articles
Where is Green Burial Available in Canada? - TalkDeath
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Websites
Life File: Options for Body Disposition - Death with Dignity
References
Alford, Henry. “Everything You're Afraid to Ask about Human Composting.” NewYorker.com, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2019,
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/09/02/everything-youre-afraid-to-ask-about-human-composting.
“Alkaline Hydrolysis.” Cremation Association of North America,
https://www.cremationassociation.org/page/alkalinehydrolysis.
“All The Decisions You Need To Make When Choosing Burial.” Everplans, https://www.everplans.com/articles/all-the-
decisions-you-need-to-make-when-choosing-burial.
“Cremation Process.” Cremation Association of North America, https://www.cremationassociation.org/page/CremationProcess.
“Cremation.” Mount Pleasant Group, 2022, https://www.mountpleasantgroup.com/en-CA/FAQs/Cremation-
FAQs.aspx#:~:text=Cremation%20is%20a%20process%20in,and%20placed%20in%20an%20urn.
Fortino, Daniela. “What Is a Columbarium? How Is It Used to Store Ashes?” Eirene, 28 Feb. 2022, https://eirene.ca/blog/what-
is-a-columbarium.
“Life File: Options for Body Disposition.” Death With Dignity, 13 Jan. 2022, https://deathwithdignity.org/resources/body-
disposition/.
“Organ Donation after Death.” Blood.ca, Canadian Blood Services, 2022, https://www.blood.ca/en/organs-tissues/deceased-
donation/organ-donation-after-death.
“Whole Body Donation.” Ontario.ca, Government of Ontario, 5 Nov. 2021, https://www.ontario.ca/page/whole-body-
donation#:~:text=You%20can%20provide%20consent%20to,two%20witnesses%20prior%20to%20death.