Options are great for the consumer.  And, according to this article from Governing.com, those people that live in the state of Washington are about to have another option for death care.

Last Friday the House and Senate in that state approved a bill that will allow for “Natural Organic Reduction” of human remains, or a process similar to composting.  The bill – #5001 – also will allow for alkaline hydrolysis or what many refer to as “Water. or Liquid, Cremation” in the state.

According to the article, the bill passed 80-16 in the Washington House and 36-11 in the Washington Senate.  If signed by Governor Jay Inslee the bill would take effect on May 1, 2020.

Funeral Director Daily take:  There is nothing wrong with this if it is what the consumer wants.  I think we know that the American consumer, in general, wants to be “options oriented” whether buying an airline ticket, an automobile, at the grocery store, or in their choice of death care for their remains.

Death care has historically evolved slowly.  We have had earth burial, entombment, cremation, and in just the last several years green burial ideas, alkaline hydrolysis, and now. potentially, natural organic reduction and, being tested in Europe, Ecolation, which you can read about here. So, its choices,  have started to evolve faster and will cause leading funeral homes capital expenditures in order to provide the services that may be requested.

What will be a difficult road for most traditional funeral directors over the next 10-20 years is being able to provide all of these options in their traditional place of business.  Equipment needed for cremation, alkaline hydrolysis, ecolation,  and whatever comes next, may be a financial challenge in capital expenditures for many funeral directors to afford in order to carry out these options.  On the flip side of that is the fact that if you cannot provide what the consumer is looking for. . . they may look to someone else who can provide those services.

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