By definition, cremation is the process of reducing the body to its basic elements of bone fragments through the use of heat. Unlike traditional flame-based cremation, Green Cremation technology uses water blended with an alkali solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH). The human body is placed into a pressurized stainless steel cremation chamber where water and alkali are automatically added and the temperature is raised to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Water, alkali, heat and pressure are gently circulated over the body, working together to cause a reaction
that begins and completes the cremation process.
Bradshaw Funeral and Cremation Services, a family-owned and operated business centralized in the Twin Cities, is the first funeral home firm in Minnesota to offer Green Cremation. Since 1972, we have focused on creating meaningful events to celebrate each unique life lived. As innovators in the funeral industry, we are committed to providing state-of-the-art services that distinguish us from other funeral providers.
That’s why we are proud to offer a gentle, flameless
alternative to traditional cremation.
Although it’s just now becoming available to the general public, Green Cremation is not new. In fact, this process dates all the way back to 1888. In February of 2006 the Mayo Clinic began using the process in its anatomy bequest program and then pioneered legislation in the state of Minnesota to make Minnesota the first state to have this green and gentle option available to the general public.
Green Cremation is a gentle, eco-friendly alternative to flame-based cremation and casket burials. It is a quiet process that uses water and potassium hydroxide to reduce the body to it's basic element of bone ash. The ashes are then returned to the family. The process was adapted for funeral home use by the Mayo Clinic in its anatomy bequest program and is now becoming available to the general public. Green Cremation is the first and only firm in Minnesota to provide this revolutionary service.
Green Cremation is an extremely environmentally-friendly choice - even greener than flame based cremation - because there are almost zero air emissions admitted into the atmosphere during this process. Green Cremation offers the following environmental advantages over traditional flame-based cremation:
The sterile by-product (effluent) from Green Cremation which is made up of small peptides, sugars, amino acids, and soaps is sent to water recycling through municipal water treatment where it is filtered, purified and recycled back to earth either through the aquifer, lakes, streams and non potable water use. In essence, the body is recycled without harm to the environment. With Green Cremation, we return to the earth through a cycle of life, helping to promote new life as nature intended it to occur.