Humans have always had limited options for what to do with their bodies after death. There were three choices: burial, cremation or donation to research institutions. The time that loved ones spend with the body after death is very short for each option. Each one also leaves behind a significant carbon footprint.

There have been many new options over the years, but most of them still involve cremation. You can turn cremated remains into glass sculptures, diamonds and vinyl records. Biodegradable products are also becoming more popular.

Frenchsco D'Angelo, an Italian designer, and Adriano de Ferro, a conceptual art installation inspired the idea of human burial within tree pods. However the pods are still in development. The only alternative to "green" was to place cremated remains into a biodegradable container.

Return Home is a human composting facility that can be used to help people.

How human composting works

In a recent article published in The Verge, Eleanor Cummins discusses Return Home's human-composting process. Natural organic reduction (NOR) or human composting is essentially what would happen if a person's body were buried without a coffin.

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The body is then washed at Return Home's Washington facility and wrapped in biodegradable clothes. The remains are then placed in a large container filled with organic materials such as straw, alfalfa and sawdust. The rest is left to nature to do its best work (warning, it can be a bit gross).

Our bodies enzymes that aid us in digesting food will eventually digest us after we are gone. The enzymes produce byproducts that are rich in potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen as they work. The process is catalyzed by oxygen and heat. Biofilters are used to remove the distinctive smell of decomposition. After aerobic digestion, there is no solid material other than medical devices and bones.

First, medical devices are taken out of the compost. Next, the soil and bones are reduced into smaller pieces using a machine that looks like a cremulator. The material is then returned to the containers for composting, where microbes can continue to break down the smaller, less porous bones. The material is rotated occasionally, just like garden compost.

From start to finish, the entire process takes approximately two months. Each family gets approximately 400 pounds of fertile, nutrient-rich soil at the end.

Human composting has many benefits

Although human composting may seem creepy, it is much more sterile than traditional coffin-and vault burials or cremations. It has many benefits, both environmental and emotional. It takes time for human composting to be effective. This can help loved ones grieve in a more gentle and slower way.

Family and friends can visit loved ones in facilities such as Return Home at any stage of the composting process. Funeral services are still possible. Return Home invites family and friends to send flowers and notes in biodegradable pen to the composting containers for the deceased.

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Human composting is also eco-friendly in many ways. Human remains can be turned into nutrient rich soil that can be used for gardening, houseplanting, or growing trees. NOR does it avoid toxic chemicals, tons steel, concrete, and hundreds of pounds of crematory carbon emissions associated with traditional burials.

It is also more affordable. Return Home costs $5,500 for NOR with a laying in ceremony. Cummins reports that this is about twice the price of an average cremation, but only half the price of a vault burial.

Is human composting a viable option for you and your family?

Human composting is still a small industry compared to the $18 million traditional funeral industry. The legality of NOR is currently limited to Washington, California, Oregon and Colorado. New York may soon follow. NOR's growth has been slowed by religious beliefs and distaste, but it is clear that there is increasing interest in this human composting method.

It is simply because it's more "full circle" than that.

As disconnected from nature as society, daily life, and society can make us feel, humans are organic material just like all other species of flora and fauna on the planet. Apart from donating your body to scientific or medical research, NOR can be a great way to make sure that you or your loved one's remains can still contribute to the planet.

The topic of death is sensitive and everyone has the right to grieve and deal with it as they see fit. If the traditional ways of handling human remains aren't comfortable for you, human composting may be the gentle and eco-friendly solution that you have been searching for.

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By: M. Davis-McAfee
Title: Human Composting: Cool Or Creepy? A New, Eco-Friendly Alternative To Burials Or Cremation
Sourced From: www.suggest.com/what-is-human-composting/2703983/
Published Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2022 22:35:00 +0000

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