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.
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 a 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 cremation, but not many people know about water cremation. Water cremation is actually quite new in Australia, isn’t it?
Catherine: It is, yeah. 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 sterilisation and disposition in biocontainment laboratories. It was first used in the funeral industry in 2011. It made headlines in January of this year with the passing of the South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu — he was a great advocate for the environment and sustainability, and he actually elected water cremation as his aftercare choice.
Catherine: We’re becoming 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. Water cremation can offer a service where it doesn’t burn any fossil fuels and doesn’t emit any harmful greenhouse gases. 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 their carbon footprint. Can you explain how the cremation process actually works?
How Water Cremation Works
Catherine: Basically it mimics the natural decomposition process. It’s similar to what would happen if we were to bury our pets. Essentially the organic material — such as muscle and tissue — is broken down, and what remains is the 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 bottom that allow the water to flow over the body. 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 the breakdown of the organic material, and this continuously, gently flows over the body.
Nathan: Okay. So what’s the alkali? Is that like acid?
Catherine: Alkali is at the opposite end of the scale. It’s potassium hydroxide, which is actually the same stuff they use in many body products — soaps, shaving creams, things like that.
Nathan: And how long does the process take?
Catherine: It is a 20-hour process for that part of the cycle, because it is just so gentle and respectful to the remains.
Nathan: And once the process is complete, do you receive back any ashes like you would with regular cremation?
Catherine: Yeah, absolutely. At the end of the water cremation, we’re still left with the bone remains. These are collected, 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 hydrolysed remains, or cremains.
Catherine: The great thing as well is that they are 100% sterile and pathogen-free. So if there was a disease, or the pet was euthanised or treated with cancer treatment, these are all completely removed. Therefore, the cremains are safe to return to the environment.
Nathan: Sounds like a really good process. Is water cremation suitable for all types and sizes of pets?
Catherine: Yeah, absolutely. For us, we do anything from pocket pets up to larger dogs. With smaller pets like fish, birds, mice and 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 compared to a flame cremation.
Nathan: That’s pretty different. Thanks for the insight. Can you tell us a bit more about you and how Blue Leaf Cremation got started?
How Blue Leaf Water Cremation Started
Catherine: 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 by the Max Planck Research Group. They had a statement that read: emissions from the flame cremation of 22 dogs can cause enough CO2 to shrink the Arctic ice by three square metres. That’s a massive thing — that’s like 45 kilos of CO2 for an average-sized dog. That kind of stuck with us. 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 we could reduce carbon emissions, and that’s how we came across greener funerals and water cremation. But it wasn’t available in Western Australia. Around that time, my husband and I were also looking at entering into our own family business.
Catherine: 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. We continued the research for a couple of years, spoke to different organisations and other suppliers, got our approvals and licence to operate, and officially opened in late August of 2022 in Perth.
Nathan: So you’re based in Perth. If someone chose to use your services, do you provide a home or vet collection service?
Catherine: Yes, we do. We’ve actually opted for the lowest-emission vehicle we could get, and we will collect from vets and homes. We’re open 24/7 — whenever someone needs us, we can be there for them.
Nathan: It’s a lovely way to reach out to the community. If people want to get in touch with Blue Leaf, how would they find you?
Catherine: We’re on Facebook (Blue Leaf Water Cremation) and Instagram. Our mobile number is 0419 580 369. Again, anytime — we’re available 24/7.
Nathan: Perfect. Catherine, it’s been great hearing your story and learning about water cremation. Thanks so much for chatting with us today.
Catherine: Thanks for having us, Nathan. Bye.
Reach Blue Leaf Water Cremation:
- Facebook Page
- Website
- Mobile: 0419 580 369
