New York in the United States became the sixth state in the country to legalize natural organic reduction known as human composting. The process allows people to have their bodies converted into organic compounds for fertilizer.
The state governor, Democrat Kathy Hochul, signed the law into law last Saturday (31). The procedure is considered “environmentally conscious” as it is a more sustainable alternative to burial or cremation.
In 2019, Washington state became the first state in the US to authorize human composting. Colorado and Oregon followed in 2021, followed by Vermont and California in 2022.
According to Time Magazine, the process involves leaving the body with plant matter in a closed compartment to allow it to efficiently decompose in about a month.
The result is a nutrientrich material equivalent to 36 bags of soil that can be used in forests or gardens.
Katrina Spade, founder of Recompose, a green Seattle funeral home that offers human composting, told Time the service is an alternative for anyone looking to adapt their remains to the sustainable lifestyle they’ve chosen.