Human composting and water cremation could become legal alternatives to traditional burial and cremation in England and Wales under proposals put forward by the Law Commission.

The independent body has recommended that both the Westminster and Welsh Governments should have powers to approve and regulate new methods of dealing with the dead as they emerge, without requiring fresh Acts of Parliament each time.

At present, burial, cremation and burial at sea are the only methods formally recognised in law in England and Wales.

The recommendation comes after Scotland became the first nation in the UK to allow water cremation, also known as alkaline hydrolysis or resomation, in March this year.

Water cremation involves placing a body, wrapped in a biodegradable shroud, into a chamber containing hot water and alkaline chemicals. The process accelerates natural decomposition, leaving bone fragments which can be returned to relatives in a similar way to ashes after cremation.

Another method highlighted in the report is human composting, also known as terramation. This process places the deceased in a specially designed container filled with organic materials such as wood chips and straw. Over a period of several weeks, natural decomposition transforms the body into soil.

The Law Commission noted that water cremation is already available in parts of Australia and Canada, while both water cremation and human composting are used in some areas of the United States.

While the commission stopped short of recommending that either method should be introduced immediately, it said there is a growing need for a clear legal framework capable of accommodating future developments in funeral and burial practices.

Its report argues that governments should have the flexibility to respond to changing technologies and public preferences through secondary legislation rather than needing to pass new primary legislation whenever a new method emerges.

The commission said decisions on whether specific methods should ultimately be approved remain a matter for elected governments, but warned that the current legal framework is not designed to deal with innovative alternatives that may become increasingly popular in the years ahead.

If adopted, the recommendations could pave the way for a wider range of environmentally focused funeral options for families across England and Wales, reflecting changing attitudes towards death, sustainability and memorial practices.