Funeral Industry News

Hydrolysis Regulations

March 10, 2026 by No Comments | Category Uncategorized

Our blog post of 5 February 2026 confirmed that the Hydrolysis Regulations would come into force on 2 March 2026: the Hydrolysis (Scotland) (No. 1) Regulations 2026 and the Hydrolysis (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 2026.

  • The No. 1 Regulations focus on the modifications to the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 (“the 2016 Act”), extending the 2016 Act to hydrolysis. Some changes are made to the 2016 Act and Part 2 of that Act, which applies to cremation, is applied to hydrolysis with certain changes. The version of Part 2 of the 2016 Act as it applies in relation to hydrolysis is available here.
  • The No. 2 Regulations are very similar to the Cremation (Scotland) Regulations 2019. They set out the procedures to be followed and add detail to provision made by Part 2 of the 2016 Act as it applies to hydrolysis. The schedules contain the statutory application forms and registers.

What this means

Opening a hydrolysis facility

As happens in advance of opening a new crematorium, any potential hydrolysis authority will need to comply with section 59 of the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 (“the 2016 Act”) and notify the Inspector of Hydrolysis. Notification must be given at least 3 months in advance of starting to accept applications for hydrolysis.

Other consents are likely to be required before operators can offer hydrolysis.  These include (but are not restricted to):

  • Local authority planning consent, and
  • Trade effluent consent from Scottish Water, or
  • Consent to discharge to land from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) if discharge to the drain is not available.

It is for individuals to ensure they have obtained all necessary consents for the location.

Management and operation of hydrolysis facilities

Each hydrolysis authority will be required to create and maintain a management plan for their facility under the No. 2 Regulations. The minimum required content of the management plan is set out in the No. 2 Regulations.

The No. 2 Regulations also set out requirements for the maintenance and operation of equipment in hydrolysis facilities and in relation to record-keeping.

Applications for hydrolysis

The statutory application forms for hydrolysis are included in the No. 2 Regulations.  Different application forms apply to different types of human remains, as is the case with cremation. Downloadable versions of the forms will be made available on the Scottish Government website at the time that hydrolysis becomes available.

Hydrolysis registers

The register will need to contain the same information as is recorded in the cremation register.

Powder (ashes) handling

The requirements for hydrolysis authorities and funeral directors in relation to handling and returning the powder from hydrolysis will be the same as those for ashes after cremation.  The applicant will include on the application form their instructions for returning, burying or scattering the powder. Time limits for the return or disposal of powder are set out in the 2016 Act and the No. 2 Regulations.

Funeral sector register and inspection of hydrolysis authorities and facilities 

Hydrolysis authorities and facilities will be subject to inspection under the 2016 Act in a similar way as cremation authorities and crematoriums are. Hydrolysis authorities will be expected to register their details. Details on how to register can be found by visiting the Funeral Sector Register. Please contact FuneralSectorRI@gov.scot if you encounter any difficulties using this site.

For further information or if you have any questions, please contact our team at burialandcremation@gov.scot

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