Riya Baibhawi

Now You Can Be 'Composted' in Your Final Resting Place In This US State

Burial Ground 

When someone dies, their remains are usually processed in one of two ways: burial in a casket or cremation by fire. However, one US state—Washington—has legalised a third way of bidding goodbye to loved ones. The innovative method is called natural organic reduction, human composting or recomposition turns dead bodies into compost.

Human composting is an accelerated method of turning human remains into one cubic yard of nutrient-rich soil, equivalent to three to four wheelbarrows full of soil. Supporters of this method argue that it is a safer, more natural, and sustainable option compared to traditional burial and cremation. "Recompose gets as close to the natural process of decomposition as you would assume a body would undergo before we had an industrialized society," Troy Hottle, a postdoctoral fellow with the US Environmental Protection Agency and an advisor to recompose, told a leading media outlet in the US. 

In Washington, other innovative options for handling remains are also gaining traction. For instance, alkaline hydrolysis, or "water cremation" is one way that has been signed into law as an alternative. It involves a process where the remains of the deceased are dissolved using a mixture of chemicals.  

Designer and entrepreneur Katrina Spade is the visionary behind human composting. Spade founded Recompose, a human composting company, and spent over five years developing and testing the technique. 

Human composting takes place at designated facilities, such as Recompose's upcoming location in Seattle. At these facilities, a body is placed inside a vessel filled with wood chips and straw. By carefully balancing oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and moisture, these materials create an ideal environment for microbial activity, which breaks down the remains at a molecular level. 

“With the aerated process, oxygen is a really important piece, because essentially what we’re doing is creating the right environment for microbes to do their job,” Spade said. 

During decomposition, the material is mixed several times to ensure the process is thorough. This accelerated composting transforms a body into safe, usable, and odourless soil within 4 to 7 weeks. The resulting soil can then be taken home by loved ones or used to enrich public lands. Notably, the soil that is fertile soil that is derived from each body is enough to fill three to four wheel borrows. 

In 2018, Recompose partnered with Washington State University for a pilot study involving six individuals who donated their remains specifically for this research. The study confirmed the effectiveness of human composting, producing nutrient-rich soil that complied with all federal and state safety guidelines for pathogens and pollutants, including metals. Though the concept may seem novel or even shocking, some believe it revives one of humanity's oldest traditions.

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When someone dies, their remains are usually processed in one of two ways: burial in a casket or cremation by fire. However, one US state—Washington—has legalised a third way of bidding goodbye to loved ones. The innovative method is called natural organic reduction, human composting or recomposition turns dead bodies into compost. Human Composting In DetailHuman composting is an accelerated method of turning human remains into one cubic yard of nutrient-rich soil, equivalent to three to four wheelbarrows full of soil. Supporters of this method argue that it is a safer, more natural, and sustainable option compared to traditional burial and cremation. "Recompose gets as close to the natural process of decomposition as you would assume a body would undergo before we had an industrialized society," Troy Hottle, a postdoctoral fellow with the US Environmental Protection Agency and an advisor to recompose, told a leading media outlet in the US. In Washington, other innovative options for handling remains are also gaining traction. For instance, alkaline hydrolysis, or "water cremation" is one way that has been signed into law as an alternative. It involves a process where the remains of the deceased are dissolved using a mixture of chemicals.  How Human Composting WorksDesigner and entrepreneur Katrina Spade is the visionary behind human composting. Spade founded Recompose, a human composting company, and spent over five years developing and testing the technique. Human composting takes place at designated facilities, such as Recompose's upcoming location in Seattle. At these facilities, a body is placed inside a vessel filled with wood chips and straw. By carefully balancing oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and moisture, these materials create an ideal environment for microbial activity, which breaks down the remains at a molecular level. “With the aerated process, oxygen is a really important piece, because essentially what we’re doing is creating the right environment for microbes to do their job,” Spade said. During decomposition, the material is mixed several times to ensure the process is thorough. This accelerated composting transforms a body into safe, usable, and odourless soil within 4 to 7 weeks. The resulting soil can then be taken home by loved ones or used to enrich public lands. Notably, the soil that is fertile soil that is derived from each body is enough to fill three to four wheel borrows. In 2018, Recompose partnered with Washington State University for a pilot study involving six individuals who donated their remains specifically for this research. The study confirmed the effectiveness of human composting, producing nutrient-rich soil that complied with all federal and state safety guidelines for pathogens and pollutants, including metals. Though the concept may seem novel or even shocking, some believe it revives one of humanity's oldest traditions.