At the International Cemetery Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) annual convention and expo, I’ve been doing short videos with various exhibitors talking about their products and services. There’s lots of interesting stuff here!
One new trend to be aware of is the growth of alkaline hydrolysis. This is an eco-friendly process that uses less energy and creates less CO2 than flame-based cremation. I spoke with Sam (Samantha) Sieber, biologist with Bio-Response Solutions and daughter of Joe Wilson, one of the pioneers of this technology.
There are Bio-Response units for human and animal disposition. There are 100 animal units in the U.S. and just a handful of human units, including at the Mayo clinic in Minnesota.
Currently, the technology is approved for use in eight states, including Florida, Minnesota, Kansas, Maine, Colorado, and Illinois.
In Florida, Anderson-McQueen Funeral Home has been using Alkaline Hydrolysis for the past six months. John T. McQueen presented a case study at the ICCFA about their experience offering what he calls flameless cremation.
He indicated with the new technology, his customers want to see the technology to be comfortable with the process. The video below includes a description of the alkaline hydrolysis process, for people and for pets.
We’ve got lots of short YouTube videos of ICCFA exhibitors talking about their products and services. Look for more posts soon!