Now you don’t have to be buried or cremated. You can be composted instead.
Human composting is an environmentally friendly alternative to cremation and traditional burial. The process, sometimes referred to as body composting, is also known as natural organic reduction or soil transformation. It involves a 45-day process wherein a body is gently transformed into nutrient-rich soil.
Families choose how much soil they’d like returned to scatter or plant, and the remainder is sent to local conservation sites where it’s used for land restoration projects, such as reforestation and growing trees. Human composting is for nature lovers, conservationists, and those wanting to protect the planet for future generations.
Haley Morris, head of communications and government affairs for Earth Funeral, a Washington State-based composting company, pointed out there is no national law governing human composting. She noted each state has its funeral laws. However, since the composting process was approved in Washington in 2019, natural organic reduction has now become legal in seven states, including California.
“Since then it has gained a ton of interest,” said Morris, who pointed out Earth Funeral is a funeral home with a funeral director. “The company works with families who’ve lost loved ones and want to choose natural organic reduction, or for those pre-planning and wanting to decide on this method of disposition of remains ahead of time,” she explained adding Earth Funeral handles arrangements with funeral homes in local areas.
“Our funeral directors work with local funeral directors in the San Diego area to arrange transport of the deceased to our facility in Washington State, a process that takes about a month to 45 days,” Morris said noting afterward that “families are returned the soil from their loved ones. Or, families can have their loved one’s remains planted in memorial gardens or in green spaces that are meaningful to their loved ones. It’s sort of a new tradition in how to honor loved ones.”
How does the cost of natural organic reduction compare with traditional methods? “It tends to be less than a traditional burial, but more than cremation,” noted Morris who added human composting costs between $5,000 and $6,000.
The average cremation cost in California falls anywhere from $1,300 to $2,300 depending on the provider and services offered. The cost of arranging a full funeral and burial service in California is often much steeper, with a range anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000-plus.
So why consider human composting as opposed to going with a more traditional burial or cremation? “As they learn about this option, some people feel like it resonates with their values of being environmentally conscious, this idea of returning to nature, which provides a lot of solace,” said Morris who noted Earth Funeral consults with prospective clients to ensure that composting “is right for you and your family. For many people, with this option, there is a sense of wanting your last act on Earth to be doing something good for the Earth, returning to nature, and being part of the natural lifecycle. You feel meaningful. This gives people the option of having a positive impact after they’ve gone.”
HUMAN COMPOSTING
The underlying science behind natural organic reduction is composting; balancing carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and water, and optimizing temperature and moisture levels. Earth Funeral’s proprietary vessel technology creates and optimizes the perfect conditions for naturally occurring microbes and beneficial bacteria to break the body down on a molecular level.
Step by step:
- The body is gently washed and wrapped in a biodegradable shroud.
- The body is placed in its vessel on a layer of organic mulch, woodchip, and wildflower.
- Over a 30-day process, the body is broken down on a molecular level by water and beneficial microbes.
- Each process produces an approximate cubic yard of nutrient-rich soil. Families choose how much soil they’d like returned, and the remainder is used for land restoration.
For more information, visit earthfuneral.com.
