No burial or incineration: becoming a "human compost" is already legal in a US state

"You are dust and you will return to the dust," said the Bible. The expression has never been so precise. Washington Governor Jay Inslee on Tuesday signed a law making his state the first in the United States that will allow the deceased to be turned into compost in the space of a month and that literally return to earth.

The composting process "offers an alternative to embalming and burial or cremation, it is natural, safe, sustainable and will lead to significant savings in CO2 emissions and in land use, "said Katrina Spade, one of the proponents of the bill.

The young woman was pbadionate about these solutions 10 years ago and created the Seattle-based company Recompose, which has developed a human-ready composting process that is almost ready for commercialization.

The process focuses on accelerate the natural decomposition of the body, which is placed in a container serving as a coffin for funerals. There it is placed with straw, wood chips and alfalfa, and the ideal conditions of moisture and oxygenation are created so that the bacteria can do their job.

"Everything, including teeth and bones, becomes compost"said Recompose, who monitors for 30 days the process of decomposition, which includes research and extraction of inorganic materials, such as pacemakers or dental implants.

Families receive a cubic meter of material "very similar to topsoil bought in a nursery". The amount is equivalent to two wheelbarrows, which can be scattered in their gardens or even plant a tree in honor of the deceased.

"It gives meaning and purpose to what happens to our bodies after death," said Nora Menkin, executive director of the People Memorial Association, a Seattle-based group that helps people plan their funerals.

The process developed by Recompose is similar to that used for decades on farms to treat animal carcbades. This was scientifically proven last year by Washington State University, which used six bodies donated by volunteers. It was found that the process lasted between 4 and 7 weeks.

Proponents of the law say it will be a step forward for the environment because the bodies would not occupy space, the chemicals would not be filtered on the ground as during the traditional burial and the process of releasing carbon dioxide into the air during cremation would be reduced.

The measure's sponsor, Democratic Senator Jamie Pedersen, said the elimination of human remains with low impact on the environment makes sense ", especially in the" most populated "urban areas . "This law will change the world because cremation is the most popular method in the state, but this method will reduce 1.4 tons of carbon per person," Pedersen said.

The law will enter into force on May 1, 2020Washington residents can then choose between a casket, be cremated or become a fertile land.

The Catholic Church in Washington rejected the measureEnsuring that "getting rid of human remains in this way does not show enough respect for the deceased," said Joseph Sprague, executive director of the state Episcopal Conference at the newspaper. Los Angeles Times.

Spade does not subscribe to this argument and points out that this third option is fraught with spirituality. "The idea of ​​returning to nature in such a direct way, and to be placed back in the cycle of life and death, is really very beautiful, "he said.

His company is not yet active but he plans to charge US $ 5,000 for an "organic reduction", more expensive than a cremation but less than a traditional burial.

The ecological burials They are a trend in the United States. Actor Luke Perry, star of the series "Beverly Hills 90210", died suddenly in early March, had asked to be buried with a costume made of mushrooms and other microorganisms called Infinity, which "helps the body to decompose, neutralizes toxic substances and transfers nutrients to plant life" at the end of the process, explained the company that makes it, Coeio.