Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law legislation on Saturday to legalize natural organic reduction, popularly known as human composting, making New York the sixth state in the country to allow such a method of burial.
Washington state was the first to legalize human composting in 2019, followed by Colorado and Oregon in 2021, and Vermont and California in 2022.
The process is as follows: The body of the deceased is placed in a reusable container along with plant material such as wood chips, alfalfa, and straw.
The organic blend creates the perfect habitat for natural microbes to do their job, breaking down the body quickly and efficiently in about a month.
The end result is a heaped cubic meter of nutrient-rich soil amendment, equivalent to approximately 36 bags of soil, which can be used to plant trees or enrich protected lands, forests or gardens.
For urban areas like New York, where land is limited, it can be considered a pretty attractive burial alternative.
Michelle Menter, director of Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve, a cemetery in central New York, says the center would “seriously consider” the alternative method.
“It’s definitely more in line with what we do,” he added.
The 130-acre (52-hectare) nature reserve cemetery, nestled among protected forest lands, offers natural and ecological burials, which is when a body can be placed in a biodegradable container and grave so it can decompose completely.
“Whatever we can do to get people away from concrete containers and fancy coffins and embalming, we should be doing and supporting,” he says.
But not everyone agrees with the idea.
The New York State Catholic Conference, a group representing the state’s bishops, has long opposed the bill, calling the burial method “inappropriate.”
“A perfectly appropriate process for returning plant remains to earth is not necessarily appropriate for human bodies,” said Dennis Poust, executive director of the organization.
“Human bodies are not household waste, and we don’t believe the process meets the standard of reverent treatment of our earthly remains,” he added.
Katrina Spade, founder of Recompose, a Seattle funeral home that offers comprehensive human composting services, says it’s an alternative for people who want to tailor the fate of their remains to match how they’ve lived their lives.
According to her, it “seems like a movement” among environmentally conscious people.
“Cremation uses fossil fuels, and burial consumes a lot of land and leaves a carbon footprint,” Spade explains. “For many people, becoming land that can become a garden or a tree is quite shocking.”
