Human Composting has been legalized in six US states but is still not available anywhere in Europe. In most European countries, the only options at death are cremation or traditional burial. However, there is a growing demand for options for burial after death. Growing, especially those with eco-friendly options.
Cremation produces a large amount of carbon emissions, and burning a body in a coffin releases toxic waste gases such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. One cremation produces about 245 kilograms of carbon emissions, which is equivalent to charging a smartphone more than 29,000 times.
Traditional burials can also have a negative impact on the environment, with chemicals used in the embalming process potentially leaking and contaminating surrounding soil and waterways.
What is Human Composting?
The body is placed in an airtight container and surrounded by a large mixture of alfalfa plants and wood chips. The organic matter quickly accumulates and naturally retains heat, avoiding the expensive fossil fuel expenditure of traditional crematoriums.
Heat accelerates the activity of microorganisms, and in about 30-50 days, the bones and teeth are converted into organic matter in the body. The bones and teeth do not decompose during this process, but are ground separately using specialized equipment and then mixed with other soil.
The new soil is then left for about another 30 days to stabilize and dry before being given to loved ones.
In 2020, a study published by the Catholic University of Leuven investigated how the humification process affects the bodies of pigs and found that it took much longer than expected for the carcasses to decompose and produce compounds such as ammonia, arguing that "natural humification is currently not the norm for cremation and traditional Viable alternatives to burial”.
"This study has serious methodological issues and uses a different method of humification than the method it advocates," said the group that supports composting.
Why are compost burials so popular?
Frances Valdes, President of French Humusation, said that the attraction of the compost humification process is to match the end of human life with an environmentally friendly lifestyle.
"From death comes life, and that's what every life in the forest does. When you see all the animals in the forest dying, no one buries them or cremates them. The forest absorbs all the death that happens every day. Nature manages death, and it’s us humans who complicate things.”
"Composting is a perfect, natural way to dispose of our remains, and it comforts me to watch new things grow out of the soil." - Readers who support composting respond
In addition to compost burial, another environmentally friendly burial is "water burial". Ireland is expected to open Europe's first water burial facility in the next few months.
What is water cremation or aquamation?
The carcass is placed in a steel container filled with water and an alkaline solution and heated, causing the pulp to regain its chemical composition - amino acids, peptides, sugars and salts - and after about three or four hours, only The bones were then ground into a white powder, placed in urns and given to family members.
In the summer of 2023, Co-op Funeralcare, the UK's largest funeral service provider, announced that it would start providing this service, making them the first business to do so.
Water burials are now legal in the UK, but are still subject to health, safety and environmental regulations.
It uses five times less energy than cremation, according to British company Resomation.
Professor Davies, from the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University, said: "In the past decade, increasing concerns about ecology and sustainability, combined with people's desire to be part of nature or to rest in natural environments, have meant that More and more people are considering the environmental impact of their bodies after death."
Research has found that 89% British people have never heard of "water burial", but after explanation, only 29% people said they would choose this method for their own funeral.
Traditional cremation produces approximately 245 kilograms of carbon emissions, equivalent to charging a smartphone more than 29,000 times. Traditional burials also have a negative impact on the environment. Chemicals used in the embalming process can leak and contaminate surrounding soil and waterways.
At present, in addition to the United Kingdom and Ireland, there are plans to introduce water burial this year (2024), and this service is also provided in the United States, Canada and South Africa.
References:
*euronews.green (2023.2.12), 'From death comes life': The human composting campaigners lighting the way to a greener afterworld
*euronews.green (2024.2.16), What is water cremation? UK now offers eco-friendly burial alternative
