As heartbreaking as it is to lose a pet, there is a beautiful way to create a memorial the way nature intended.

We caught up with Catherine McKay from Blue Leaf Water Cremation in Perth, as she shares how water cremation is an eco-friendly and gentle way to cremate your pet, using a process that mimics what we see in nature.

Watch the video, or read the transcript below, to learn how Water Cremation can create a meaningful legacy for your pet.

Hear about the gentle and eco-friendly way to create a lasting memorial for your pet.

Nathan - Pet Memorial Australia:

Hey everyone, Nathan from Pet Memorial Australia here and today we're joined by a special guest, Catherine from Blue Leaf Water Cremation in Perth. 

They provide a really cool eco-friendly cremation solution to pet's afterlife care. Great to have you here today, Catherine.

Catherine McKay - Blue Leaf Water Cremation:

Thanks, Nathan.

Nathan:

Now most of our audience know about traditional based cremation, but not many people know about water cremations. So Catherine, would you like to give us an overview? Because water cremation is actually quite new in Australia, isn't it?

Catherine:

It is, yeah. So most parents wouldn't be familiar with water cremation as a form of aftercare for their pets. However, it has been around for quite some time.

It's scientifically known as alkaline hydrolysis, and it was actually first patented and developed back in 1888. The first commercial system was installed in 1993.

Mostly though that was used for sterilization and disposition of biocontainment laboratories. But it was first used in the funeral industry in 2011.

It made headlines actually in January of this year with the passing of the South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu. People may have heard and read about that.

And he was a great advocate for the environment and sustainability. And he actually elected water cremation as his aftercare choice.

Nathan:

Oh yeah.

Catherine:

So we're becoming more increasingly aware of our carbon footprint during our lives, but we really need to have a consideration for it in our aftercare as well. There's quite a movement, especially overseas, towards greener funerals. 

And water cremation, it can offer that service where it doesn't burn any fossil fuels, it doesn't emit any harmful greenhouse gasses. So for pet parents, especially those seeking a more gentle and eco-friendly option, this is a great way of reducing their carbon pets paw print.

Nathan:

That's a great solution for pet owners who want to be more conscious about the carbon footprint and the effect they're having. So can you explain how the cremation process actually works?

How Water Cremation Works?

Catherine:

Yeah. So basically it mimics the natural decomposition process. So it's similar to what would happen if we were to bury our pets. Essentially the organic material such as your muscle and the tissue, it's broken down and what remains is your calcium phosphate or the bones.

Catherine:

With the process, we place the pets into their individual cradles, and this is a fully-contained stainless steel vessel.

It has minor perforations on the top and the bottom of it, and that just allows the water to flow over the body. 

So this cradle is placed into the water cremation system. 

It's then filled with 95% water. Water is one of the most natural decomposing agents. 

We then add a 5% alkali, which is used to stimulate and accelerate that breakdown of the organic material. 

And then this just continuously, gently flows over the body.

Nathan:

Okay. So what's the alkali? Is that like acid or... What's that?

Catherine:

Alkali is at the opposite end of the scale. So it's, what do we call it, potassium hydroxide, which is actually the same stuff as they use in many body products, soaps, shaving creams, things like that.

Nathan:

Okay. And how long does the process take?

Catherine:

It is a 20-hour process for that part of the cycle because it is just such a gentle and respectful to the remains.

Nathan:

Yeah. And so once the process is complete, do you receive back any ashes like you would with the regular cremation?

Catherine:

Yeah, absolutely. So at the end of the water cremation, we're still left with the bone remains. So these are collected, they're prepared and then placed into an urn or memorabilia, keepsake. We don't use fire, so we don't tend to refer to them as ashes. We call them hydrolyzed remains or cremains.

Catherine:

The great thing as well with this is they are a hundred percent sterile pathogen free. So if there was a disease, euthanized or the pet was treated for... with cancer treatment, these are all completely removed. Therefore, the cremains are safe to return to the environment.

Nathan:

Okay. Ah, sounds like a really good process. So is water cremation suitable for all types and sizes of pets?

Catherine:

Yeah, absolutely. So for us, we do anything from pocket pets up to larger dogs. With smaller pets like fish, birds, mice, rats, water cremation is definitely a better option because it is so much gentler to the remains. 

We don't have that excessive force and heat on the body, so you can actually receive 20 to 30% more of the cremains when compared to a flame cremation.

Nathan:

Mm-hmm. That's pretty different. Thanks for the insight there. So can you tell us a bit more about you and how Blue Leaf Cremation got started?

How Blue Leaf Water Cremation Started?

Catherine:

Yeah. So we've been long term pet parents and unfortunately that means we've had our own experiences of loss and grief. But when we were faced with looking for an aftercare option recently, we came across an article. 

It was by the Max Planck Research Group. And they had a statement that read "Emissions from the flame cremation of 22 dogs can cause enough CO2 to shrink the optic ice by three square meters." That's a massive thing. 

That's like 45 kilos of CO2 for an average sized dog. That kind of stuck with us. 

And understandably we don't like to think about the end of life for our pets, but our choices are making a huge impact on the environment.

Catherine:

So we started researching other ways that we could reduce carbon emissions. And that's how we came across the greener funerals and water cremation. But it wasn't available in Western Australia. Around that time as well, hubby and I were looking at entering into our own family business. 

So we decided to combine this innovative method with our love for animals and compassion for people, especially those dealing with grief as all of that resonated really strongly with us. 

So we continued the research for a couple of years, spoke to different organizations and other suppliers of the service, and we got our approvals and license to operate and we officially opened late August of this year (2022) in Perth.

Nathan:

Oh, nice. So you are based in Perth.

Catherine:

Yeah.

Nathan:

So if someone chose to use your services, do you provide a home or vet collection service?

Catherine:

Yes, we do. Yeah. So we've actually opted for the lowest emission vehicle that we could get. And yes, we will collect from vets and homes and we're open 24/7. Whenever someone needs us, we certainly can be there for them.

Nathan:

Oh, it's a lovely way to reach out to the community. So if people want to get in touch with Blue Leaf Cremations, how would they find you or call you?

Catherine:

Yeah. So we are on Facebook, Blue Leaf Water Cremation, Instagram. Our mobile number, 0419-580-369. So yeah, again, anytime, we're available 24/7.

Nathan:

Okay. Oh, that's perfect. Catherine, it's been great hearing your story and learning about water cremations. So everyone in Perth, you know how to get in touch with Blue Leaf. And I’ll add the links below this video and on this post. So thanks so much, Catherine. It's been wonderful chatting with you today.

Catherine:

Thanks for having us, Nathan. Bye.

Reach Blue Leaf Water Cremations: 

• Facebook Page
• Instagram
• Website
• Mobile number: 0419-580-369