Washington state could become the first state in the United States to legalize human composting, the use of human remains as fertilizer, along with cremation and burial.
The bill, supported by Senator Jamie Pedersen, will allow human remains to be "rearranged" using a special technology that will accelerate decomposition and turn the body into nutrient-rich soil, after which it can be returned to the family of the deceased. The bill is planned to be submitted for discussion in the first half of January 2019. According to the politician himself, he has already received many letters in which they admitted to him that he wanted to “become” a tree after death, or at least have another alternative for himself.
While "turning into wood" and other futuristic burial ideas may not be entirely new concepts, Washington could become the first state to allow human composting if the bill is passed. This idea is not only unusual, but also economical. More and more Americans are turning to crowdfunding to cover funeral expenses, according to the National Association of Funeral Directors - the average cost in 2017 was over $ 7,000. Compared to this, the "re-packaging" process is noticeably cheaper - it is expected that the costs of families can be reduced to $ 5,500.
The process is very similar to traditional composting: human remains are placed in a composting chamber and left to decompose with organic material. From time to time, air enters the chamber to help the microbes accelerate decomposition, and after about a month, only slightly more than half a cubic meter of compost remains in the chamber. The five-month study, during which, under the supervision of scientists, the decomposition of six donor bodies was carried out under the supervision of a local university employee Lynne Carpenter-Boggs (Lynne Carpenter-Boggs).
The study was carefully monitored to prevent the spread of any harmful pathogens and the public concern that led to the defeat of a similar bill sponsored by Pedersen in 2017. In her research, Carpenter-Boggs came to the conclusion that the decomposed remains do not pose a threat, and she plans to present the results of her work as early as 2019. If passed, the bill will enter into force on May 1, 2020.
Pedersen himself claims that his initiative will not only make the process of handling human remains cheaper, but also have a positive impact on the environment: burial can wash out chemicals into the ground, and as a result of cremation, carbon dioxide is released. One way or another, the politician notes that the bill could provide new alternatives for the treatment of his body.
Dmitry Mazalevsky