If you are concerned about the environment, consider composting after your death

If you are concerned about the environment, consider composting after your death

Would you rather be buried or cremated when you die?

If you think like me, the answer is neither. I cringe at the thought of my body burning up well over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit or being pumped full of toxic chemicals and spending the rest of eternity in a cramped box 6 feet underground.

So here's another question: How do you feel when your body is shredded into compost and used to plant a tree, grow flowers, or repair depleted soil in a forest?

Humane composting doesn't mean throwing you in a trash can with potato peelings, crushed eggshells, and coffee grounds. Instead, they are placed in a metal or wooden container, surrounded by organic materials such as wood chips, alfalfa and straw, and then slowly reduced to a nutrient-rich soil. The process can take six weeks to six months depending on the method used.

I don't know about you, but I like the sound of this (at least compared to these other two options).

“Until now, I never felt like I had an option that worked for me,” said Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens). She wrote an invoice signed last month by Gov. Gavin Newsom to legalize human composting in California.

California is the fifth state to allow this method of body disposal, commonly known by the more scientific-sounding name “natural organic reduction.” Colorado, Oregon, Vermont and Washington have legalized the practice and Legislation is still pending in several other states.

California's law takes effect in 2027, giving regulators time to set the rules that govern human composting in the state.

But it's never too early to plan your own death.

Heather Andersen, a 68-year-old counselor and former hospice nurse in Seattle, says she has already chosen to be composted after her death because it is much more environmentally friendly than burial or cremation.

“We’re actually improving the earth rather than taking away from it,” she says. And her decision has a spiritual dimension, she says, as it will “be part of the whole cycle of life again.”

Andersen, who is in good health, purchased a prepaid composting plan from Reassemble a Seattle-based green funeral home whose founder, Katrina Spade, is widely regarded as a pioneer of natural organic reduction for humans.

A naturally reduced human body can yield between 250 and 1,000 pounds of soil, depending on the method used and the type and amount of organic materials mixed with the body. That's enough to fill several wheelbarrows or the back of a pickup truck. Once the process is complete, many families take a small box of soil and donate the rest to conservation projects or flower farms.

Of course, being composted after death isn't for everyone. For example, the California Catholic Conference opposes the new law. The methods used, a statement said, "reduce the human body to a disposable product, and we should instead look for options that respect both our natural world and the dignity of the deceased person."

Those who have chosen to compost their bodies are generally motivated by environmental concerns.

In natural organic reduction, "we're actually taking everything that lives on in a human body after the human has left it and turning it into something that can actually feed the planet," says Holly Blue Hawkins of Santa Cruz County, whose Final respect advice offers death planning services.

After death the human body retains numerous elements and minerals that are nutritious for plants, including carbon, calcium, magnesium, nitrogen and phosphorus.

Traditional burials pose many problems. The formaldehyde in the embalming fluid exposes funeral homes at risk for problems such as an irregular heartbeat, a dangerous buildup of fluid in the lungs and, over time, cancer. Additionally, the toxic substances in the embalming fluid can leach into the soil.

Not to mention that it's straight is not enough land in cemeteries that everyone has their own plot of land indefinitely into the future.

Cremation, on the other hand, emits numerous pollutants that are harmful to humans, as well as millions of tons of carbon dioxide per year. And the percentage of people choosing cremation is growing rapidly, largely because it is cheaper than burial. Cremation is expected to be held accountable 59% of body waste according to the National Funeral Directors Association this year and 79% by 2040. With about 3 million Americans die every year, that's a lot of corpses that burn.

Human composting has only recently emerged as an alternative to burial and cremation.

Since Recompose opened in December 2020, the company has composted fewer than 200 bodies. “Obviously that’s a tiny fraction of the people dying in Washington state,” Spade said. But 1,200 customers have paid upfront for the natural organic reduction, which they say is a sign of its growing appeal.

Many funeral homes view human composting as a significant business opportunity in a $20 billion industry.

“Our owners have had discussions about expanding nationwide as more states legalize it,” says David Heckel, forward planning consultant at The natural burial in Lafayette, Colorado.

Return home a green funeral home in Auburn, Washington, encourages website visitors to: join the #idratherbecompost movement ” and fill out a form letter urging state legislators to legalize human composting.

Dying isn't cheap, and composting is no exception. The cost of a natural organic reduction ranges from $3,000 to just under $8,000, depending on which company you choose. Companies typically offer on-site ceremonies for an additional fee. This compares to an average funeral cost of almost $7,000 for a cremation and just over $9,400 for a traditional funeral with a casket and vault.

Recompose, Return Home, The Natural Funeral and Earth burial, of Auburn, Washington, all say they plan to set up shop in California after the new law takes effect. But Californians who want to return to the earth as compost don't have to wait until 2027.

All of these companies offer prepaid plans and, for an additional fee, will arrange transportation to their out-of-state facilities if you or your loved one dies before they begin operations in California - or if you live in a state where natural organic reduction is not legal. They will usually send you or your family a small box of the resulting compost.

Another option is Herland Forest, a nonprofit cemetery in rural Washington that charges $3,000. It has no plans to expand into California, but will accept bodies from other states for an additional transportation fee.

Call and compare prices and methods. See what kind of mood you get.

If the idea of ​​human composting leaves you cold, whether for religious, personal, or family reasons, don't worry. Nobody forces you to feed a tree. “I’m not taking anything away,” Garcia says. “I’m just expanding the options we have.”

This story was produced by KHN which published California Healthline an editorially independent service California Health Care Foundation.

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