American Funeral History
Burial was the traditional way of laying the dead to rest in North America since well before the establishment of the United States of America. The most significant changes to this storied practice have been the introduction of embalming in the 1860s and the shift away from community-based deathcare toward elaborate ceremonies managed by professional funeral directors.
While the practice of cremation has been documented in many cultures, dating as far back as 5,000 years, it only came to the United States in the late 1800s. The first crematory in Washington State opened in 1905, established by the Washington Cremation Association in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle.
Today, 79% of Washingtonians choose cremation compared to the national average of 60.6% (2023 Cremation Association of North America). Typically during the flame cremation process, CO2, greenhouse gases, and carcinogenic toxins are among the 219 known emissions released. The process also consumes 6,000 cubic feet of natural gas and releases about 3 grams of mercury. In the 5 years span of 2015 to 2020, Washington State has seen 1.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas burned and 1,400 pounds of mercury vaporized.
Are there greener choices?
On April 19th, 2019, Washington state passed SB 5001, which legalized two new forms of disposition for the deceased: alkaline hydrolysis and natural organic reduction. These methods of care are proven to be reliable, safer for operators, and more environmentally-friendly.
Alkaline Hydrolysis
Alkaline hydrolysis, aka "aquamation," uses warm water and alkaline chemicals to accelerate the natural decomposition of the human body. The organic components of the body are reduced to a liquid that can be safely drained, while the bones are processed into ashes and returned to the family in an urn. Aquamation is estimated to use approximately 1/10th of the energy of a flame-based cremation, doesn't rely on fossil fuels, and doesn't release any greenhouse gases or heavy metals.
Aquamation is now available throughout Washington State, offered at over 27% of Washington funeral homes. You can find a list of all PMA partnered funeral homes providing alkaline hydrolysis to there community by clicking here. If your local funeral home doesn't currently offer this service, reach out to them to let them know you are interested in it! You may find that they add it to their offerings soon.
We all owe a big thank you to the team at Resting Waters Aquamation: Seattle's Pet Funeral Home. Their wonderful work providing alkaline hydrolysis for pet companions was a major asset in the process of advocating for the safety and effectiveness of this process. They offer PMA members 15% off the cost of services and merchandise for pets.
Natural Organic Reduction
Natural organic reduction, aka "terramation" or "human composting," is a process developed by Katrina Spade, the founder and CEO of Recompose. The process converts human remains to soil over the course of 6-8 weeks. It is a contained, accelerated process that provides us with the opportunity to nourish new life after we die. It uses significantly less energy than cremation and is estimated to save over one metric ton of carbon dioxide per person.
Former PMA Executive Director Nora Menkin testified in support of the legalization of this process, alongside a number of other community members. Watch those testimonies at the State Senate (starts around 49 minutes) and the House (starts around 31 minutes) to learn more about both natural organic reduction and alkaline hydrolysis.
PMA members receive 10% off of the cost of services at Recompose by using code PMA-10-2024 and 20% off of the cost of services at Return Home.
A letter from the PMA Board of Directors, November 2020
People’s Memorial Association Statement on Virginia Mason Health System-CHI Franciscan Hospital Merger
Virginia Mason Health System and CHI Franciscan proposed a merger in July 2020. The announcement of this merger has resulted in worry among the community over the Catholic church's limits on healthcare in Washington State.
When the merger is complete, over 50% of Washington hospital beds will be Catholic-affiliated and subject to the Ethical and Religious Directives (ERDs), which consider the use of Death with Dignity and some common reproductive medical procedures 'immoral' or 'potentially scandalous.' Since protecting consumer choice at the end of life and after death is one of the advocacy pillars of People's Memorial, this statement has been issued in response:
"People’s Memorial Association (PMA) is the trusted resource and thought-leader for funeral choice, education, and advocacy in Washington State. We envision a future where everyone has access to after-death arrangements that reflect their personal values and resources. Cooperation is one of our organizational values, defined as working together with consumers, industry, and government to strengthen the rights and expand the choices for end of life. PMA represents our 70,000 members directly. Our work on end-of-life choice, education, and advocacy benefits all Washington State residents.
In the context of maintaining choice for them, PMA notes that the announced merger of Virginia Mason Health System (VMHS) with CHI Franciscan may unknowingly constrain the ability of future patients to maintain their choice in peri-death decisions. Specifically, CHI Franciscan’s formal policy states that, “all services rendered in our facilities shall be supportive of life” without “actively participating in the provisions associated with the Death with Dignity Act.” Further, that “at no time may direct actions to terminate life be performed or permitted.”
Combining the organizations will allow CHI Franciscan to shape healthcare, in our state and nationally, without regard to state laws designed and passed to protect the rights of the patients and their families.
PMA takes no stance on the merger itself. Yet it cautions that when hospice patients choose to receive treatment at the future merged VMHS-CHI Franciscan hospital, they may later find that they unwittingly deprived themselves of the choices afforded by Washington State’s 2009 Death with Dignity Act."
-Statement approved by the Board of Directors November 17, 2020
