Human Composting Burial Options

Natural Organic Reduction: An Eco-friendly Alternative to Traditional Burial

When discussing death care, one might think of traditional methods like burial and cremation. However, another eco-friendly alternative is making headway, known scientifically as "natural organic reduction," or more commonly as "human composting." This article will walk you through what human composting is, the process, its legality, its history, and its benefits.

Human composting, sometimes also referred to as recomposition burial or composting burial, is an eco-friendly method of handling human remains after death. This process involves composting human bodies into nutrient-rich material similar to soil that can help sequester carbon from the atmosphere and nourish the earth. So what exactly is body composting, and how does human composting work?

In the human composting process, the body is placed in a vessel with materials like wood chips and alfalfa straw to aid in the aerobic composting process. Microbes in the body and on these raw materials break down the body tissue over several weeks, turning it into human compost. In the end it has the same consistency as compost you might already use in your garden. 

This compost can then be returned to the earth, used to grow plants, or help restore local landscapes, offering a meaningful way to give back to the environment after death. The process also reduces carbon dioxide emissions compared to traditional burials and cremation, making it an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional burial or flame cremation. This green burial method is slowly being adopted by some states, offering a more sustainable option for handling human remains.

Organized body composting for humans is new, however farms have been composting the remains of large animals for many years. In 2022 there was a massive outbreak of avian influenza which resulted in millions of chickens needing to be composted. The science from the composting of animals paved the way for human composting.

Katrina Spade, the founder of Recompose, played a key role in making human composting a legal practice in her state, alongside Washington State University’s Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, Professor of Sustainable and Organic Agriculture. Their idea turned into a fully operational human composting facility, pioneering a significant change in the way we are able to reintegrate a human into the Earth. 

Micah Truman also leads in this sector, with his company in Washington state, Return Home, providing a similar service. Through human composting, or terramation as they call it, Return Home provides families access to “inclusive, gentle, transparent death care that continues the cycle of life”. In 2022 Return Home earned the National Funeral Directors’ Association’s Best of the Best Award which recognizes the most innovative programs and services in the profession.

While this might sound like a radical idea, body composting is gradually gaining acceptance. Human composting is legal in California, Colorado, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. Unfortunately this makes it a little more difficult for people not in those states to take advantage of this ecological alternative to traditional burial methods, but it’s not impossible.

Human composting cannot yet be performed within the state of Minnesota or western Wisconsin, however, Interra Green Burial by Mueller Memorial in St. Paul MN provides passionate local environmentalists the opportunity to have their unembalmed remains transported, on an existing commercial flight, to Washington state for composting by our trusted partners at Return Home.

As more and more people seek alternatives to traditional funerals, it's expected that more states like Minnesota will legalize terramation and make it a more mainstream option for final disposition. Legislation has already been introduced in both the Minnesota State House and Senate calling for the legalization of human composting. 

In January 2023 Bill HF2669 was introduced to the Minnesota State House by authors, Reps. John Huot, Mike Freiberg, and Samantha Sencer-Mura. And in March 2023 Bill SF3134 was introduced to the Senate by authors, Sens. John Marty, Mary K Kunesh, and D. Scott Dibble. These companion bills both seek to legalize natural organic reduction in Minnesota in the 2023-2024 Legislature.

Interra Green Burial by Mueller Memorial currently provides natural organic reduction for Minnesota residents by working with the team at Return Home in Washington state. You can choose body composting in Minnesota, it just needs to take place in a state where it is legal. 

The transportation process is not much different than the transfer of human remains we have done many times over the years between ourselves and a partnering funeral home in another state. When someone dies away from their desired final resting place, or in this case a state where terramation is not yet legal, Interra will arrange for the carriage of the body to their final destination. Our partnering funeral home at the destination will then take the body into their care. 

Most Minnesota funeral homes don’t know how to, or don’t want to, facilitate making composting or even green burial happen for people who choose it. Interra exists to help individuals find the disposition that’s right for them, not what’s easiest for us

Funeral homes and directors play a critical role in facilitating natural organic reduction. Funeral directors are licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health, to ensure the safe and sanitary disposition of any human body. 

Composting human remains might initially seem unconventional, but it allows ecologically-invested licensed death care practitioners to safely and reliably align with the growing demand for environmentally friendly options. By adopting this practice Interra is working to stay in tune with the evolving needs of society and creating greater professional purpose through a mission of sustainability.

Besides being an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional methods, human composting also has several other benefits. It can lead to significant cost savings, as it eliminates the need for expensive caskets and burial plots. The resulting compost is rich in nutrients and can be used to nourish the earth, creating a meaningful cycle of life and death.

Furthermore, human composting respects the natural process of decomposition, which is inherently less destructive to the environment than conventional methods. It creates a smaller carbon footprint and requires fewer resources, making it a sustainable choice for death care.

Not in accordance with the March 2023 statement from the Committee on Doctrine, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops titled, “On the Proper Disposition of Bodily Remains”. It is the official position of the Catholic Church that, “human composting is not sufficiently respectful of the human body…There is nothing distinguishably left of the body to be placed in a casket or an urn and laid to rest in a sacred place where Christian faithful can visit for prayer and remembrance.”

That is the policy of the Church not the policy of the provider. Interra will provide composting services, without judgment, to anyone who requests them and will allow the family to do with the remains as they wish. This might include burial of all composted remains in a single cemetery burial plot, as permitted by cemetery policy.

While the idea of composting human bodies might take some getting used to, it represents an exciting and profound shift in how we think about death and our relationship with the earth. This process, also referred to as "compost funeral" or "human composting burial," offers a tangible way for individuals to give back to the planet even in death.

It's an idea that reflects a deeper understanding and respect for the natural world, fostering an environmentally-conscious perspective on death care. It's not just about composting bodies or creating human body compost; it's about redefining our relationship with nature and recognizing our role within its intricate cycles.

Natural organic reduction marks a significant evolution in death care, providing an option that benefits the earth, is financially accessible, and honors the deceased in a meaningful way. In an era of increasing environmental consciousness, it's an option worth considering.

So, as we strive to make every aspect of our lives more eco-friendly, the question arises: could composting a human body be the future of funerals? Only time will tell, but the momentum it's gained so far suggests a promising future for this green alternative.

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