Washington state now offers “natural organic reduction,” a composting process that turns a body into soil in a few weeks. It costs $5,500 USD and is more environmentally friendly than cremation or traditional burial. Some cemeteries offer “green” burials without embalming. The Washington State Catholic Conference opposes human composting, while actor Luke Perry was buried in a “funeral suit” made of fungi and microorganisms to accelerate decomposition.
From an environmental point of view, conventional cremations and burials are not very environmentally friendly. Cremation releases carbon dioxide and particulate matter into the air. The process for normal burial involves replacing the blood in the body with formaldehyde and other chemicals, both of which can pollute groundwater.
In 2019, Washington state approved another option: composting. Licensed facilities can conduct “natural organic reduction,” a process that uses plant material such as wood chips and straw to turn a body into about a cubic meter of soft soil in just a few weeks. The process costs about $5,500 USD and uses one eighth of the energy involved in cremation.
More information on burials:
Cemeteries across the country already offer “green” burials, where people are buried in biodegradable shrouds or caskets without being embalmed.
The Washington State Catholic Conference has denounced human composting, suggesting it is an undignified end to a human body.
In March 2019, actor Luke Perry was buried in Tennessee wearing a “funeral suit,” a garment made of fungi and other microorganisms that accelerate decomposition, transfer nutrients to plants and neutralize toxins.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
