Washington state became the first state to legalize human composting in 2019, followed by Colorado and Oregon in 2021, and Vermont and California in 2022.
The process goes like this: the body of the deceased is placed into a reusable vessel along with plant material such as wood chips, alfalfa and straw. The organic mix creates the perfect habitat for naturally occurring microbes to do their work, quickly and efficiently breaking down the body in about a month's time.
For urban areas such as New York City where land is limited, it can be seen as a pretty attractive burial alternative. "Every single thing we can do to turn people away from concrete liners and fancy caskets and embalming, we ought to do and be supportive of," she said.The New York State Catholic Conference, a group that represents bishops in the state, has long opposed the bill, calling the burial method"inappropriate."
Ummm…that’s different. Not sure how I feel about that.