“Boil in a bag” funerals where bodies are liquified and flushed down a drain are set to be given the go-ahead in Britain.
The Law Commission is reviewing whether to allow water cremations, scientifically known as alkaline hydrolysis, as a more environmentally-friendly method of disposing of human remains.
It could see the unusual practice as an option to replace traditional funerals, which involve ground burials or incineration.
Alkaline hydrolysis uses hydrogen oxide, chemicals, heat and pressure to break down a corpse into liquid, known as “effluent”.
It does not contain any tissue or DNA and is described by scientists as a brown colour resembling "tea or an ale".
Pieces of bone, surviving fragments and teeth are then ground down into liquid and sent into the sewers in a process that takes between two and 18 hours in total.
Any remaining bones can also be ground for bereaved loved ones to take home and scattered or kept in a similar way to traditional ashes.
The Co-operative Group announced in 2023 it was hoping to bring water cremation to UK customers in what it called the “biggest change to funerals in over 120 years”.
But the Law Commission said there is no regulatory approval of the process and therefore it effectively cannot be carried out.
Water cremation is already available in other countries, such as the United States, Ireland and South Africa.
A Co-op spokesman said: “At Co-op Funeralcare, we are committed to serving the needs of our member-owners and clients and offering the most sustainable and affordable services.
“We welcome The Law Commission’s review and encourage exploration into alternative methods that provide consumers with greater choice and deliver environmental benefits.”
Critics argue water cremation could be seen as a kind of desecration of the body, the majority of which is disposed of as wastewater.
But Dr Lian Lundy, professor of environmental science at Middlesex University, told the Daily Telegraph: "Some people view it as basically mixing up my loved one with poo in the sewer and they don’t like that.
"But there’s a lot that goes into the sewer that we don’t really think about – waste from mortuaries and hospitals and all sorts of things that we don’t know about – so from that perspective, it’s not really any different."
