Pilot Study Successfully Composts Human Bodies, Presents Greener Option Than Burials, Cremations

Natural organic reduction (NOR) is a new mortuary option wherein the human body will be turned into compost after death. The idea is that unlike cremation, which can produce significant amounts of carbon, or burial, which tends to send out millions of gallons toxic embalming fluids into the environment each year, NOR is a more environmentally-friendly alternative.

At the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, soil scientist Lynne Carpenter-Boggs of Washington State University presented the results of a pilot experiment in which six human bodies were placed into a vessel that contained plant materials such as woodchips, alfalfa, and straw grass and, slowly rotated to help the microbes break the body down.

Thirty days later, the bodies were successfully reduced to skeletons and the remains became available for the relatives of the deceased to scatter on plants or a tree. Each body resulted in 1.5 to 2 cubic yards of soil-like material that meets the safety standards of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In fact, the recomposing bodies reached temperatures of 55 degrees Celsius (131 degrees Fahrenheit) for a period of time, which would have destroyed “a vast majority” of disease-causing organisms and even pharmaceuticals or medicinal drugs.

Simply put, the pilot study showed NOR as a viable mortuary option that is significantly more environmentally friendly than the burial options that most people are used to.

“While most human impact on the Earth happens while we are alive, we also have impact when we die," Carpenter-Boggs said. "One decision we all share is the choice of a final disposition of the body."

In May of 2019, Washington State became the first and so far only place in the world to legalize the use of NOR. Colorado is also considering legalization.

A Seattle-based company called Recompose, where Carpenter-Boggs is a research adviser, is planning to start accepting bodies for recomposition soon. According to the firm's founder and chief executive, Katrina Spade, NOR could save up to 1.4 million tons of carbon going into the atmosphere compared to cremation and similar savings compared to traditional burials when considering transport and casket construction.

“When I die, this planet, which has protected and supported me my whole life, shouldn't I give back what I have left?” Spade said in an interview with BBC.