Human composting is the practice of breaking down human remains into fertile soil. The green burial movement, which is at the forefront of human composting, is an initiative dedicated to offering more eco-friendly options for the disposal of a body after death. There are many methods of green burial, like burying a body without first embalming it or using biodegradable caskets or even avoiding caskets altogether. One method that’s gaining traction in the U.S. is human composting.
What Is Human Composting?
Composting is the process of recycling organic waste, like food scraps and yard trimmings, into a fertilizer that can be used to nourish plants. This is done by creating an environment in which decomposing organisms, like bacteria and fungi, can thrive.
Human composting, sometimes known as natural organic reduction (NOR), uses the same idea as standard composting to provide an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional options like burials and cremation. It’s a growing part of the green burial movement, which aims to offer more eco-friendly ways to dispose of a body after death, including options like casket-less and embalming-free burials.
There are several human composting benefits. Most significantly, human composting reduces the toll on the environment and costs less than a traditional burial.
Environmental benefits of human composting. Composting in any form is good for the planet. Adding compost to soil provides beneficial nutrients to plants that help them grow. It also helps conserve water. Research shows that when the organic matter in soil increases by just 1%, it helps the soil retain an additional 20,000 gallons of water per acre. Adding organic matter helps prevent erosion and wasted water.
By composting, you can keep organic material out of already-full landfills. Landfills are the third-largest producer of human-generated methane per year in the United States, since their waste piles don’t allow air to filter through. When air can’t reach organic matter, it starts to decompose through anaerobic decomposition, which is decomposition by organisms that don’t need oxygen to survive. Anaerobic decomposition creates a gas that is composed of methane and carbon dioxide, both of which are destructive greenhouse gasses.