New York has become the last US state to allow so-called “human composting”.
A person can now turn the body into soil after death – which is seen as an environmentally friendly alternative to burial or cremation.
Also known as “natural organic reduction”, the practice sees a body decompose over several weeks after being sealed in a container.
In 2019, Washington was the first US state to legalize it. Colorado, Oregon, Vermont and California followed suit
Therefore, New York is the sixth US jurisdiction to allow “humane composting”, following approval by Kathy Hochul, the state’s Democratic governor.
The process takes place in special facilities above ground.
A body is placed in a sealed container along with selected materials such as wood chips, alfalfa and straw grass and gradually decomposes under the action of microbes.
After a period of about a month – and a heating process to eradicate any contamination – loved ones are given the resulting soil. This can be used in planting flowers, vegetables or trees.
