Washington residents “are very excited about the prospect of becoming a tree or having a different alternative,” state Sen. Jamie Pedersen said.
A process known as “recomposition” reduces human remains to compost. CAHNRS Communications / Washington State UniversityDec. 29, 2018, 10:06 AM PST / Updated Dec. 30, 2018, 6:45 PM PSTBy Tafline Laylin
When Americans die, most are buried or cremated. Washington could soon become the first state to allow another option: human composting.
The novel approach, known as “recomposition,” involves placing bodies in a vessel and hastening their decomposition into a nutrient-dense soil that can then be returned to families. The aim is a less expensive way of dealing with human remains that is better for the environment than burial, which can leach chemicals into the ground, or cremation, which releases earth-warming carbon dioxide.