January 1, New York Approves Human Composting Law

New York has approved a new burial method: natural organic reduction, AKA human composting.

The Empire State became the sixth U.S. state to approve human composting when Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed the legislation on Saturday. Washington was the first state to do so in 2019, followed by Colorado and Oregon in 2021, and Vermont and California in 2022.

The process involves the deceased individual’s body being placed into a reusable vessel with plant material, such as wood chips, alfalfa, and straw. The organic mix creates an ideal habitat for naturally occurring microbes to do their work, quickly and efficiently breaking down the body in about a month’s time.

The end result is a cubic yard of nutrient-dense soil amendment, equalling about 36 bags of soil, that can be used to plant trees or enrich land, gardens, etc.

Human composting could be considered an enticing burial alternative in areas like New York City, where land is limited.

But not all New Yorkers are onboard with the idea of human composting.

The New York State Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s bishops, had opposed the legislation, decrying it as “inappropriate.”

“A process that is perfectly appropriate for returning vegetable trimmings to the earth is not necessarily appropriate for human bodies,” Dennis Poust, the organization’s executive director, said in a statement.

“Human bodies are not household waste, and we do not believe that the process meets the standard of reverent treatment of our earthly remains,” he added.

Katrina Spade, the founder of Recompose, a Seattle-based funeral home that offers human composting, said the method “feels like a movement” among the environmentally-conscience community.

“Cremation uses fossil fuels and burial uses a lot of land and has a carbon footprint. For a lot of folks being turned into soil that can be turned to grow into a garden or tree is pretty impactful,” Spade said.

Source: AP