About human compost
After their death, Washington residents
will now be able to choose to be composted, an environmentally friendly
alternative to burial or cremation.
The law authorising "natural organic
reduction" was adopted at the end of April by the legislature of the state
of Washington.
It was promulgated on Tuesday by the Democratic
governor.
"Human compost", "Re-composting",
"Humusation": whatever you want to call it.
He practice of turning the body of a
deceased person into compost is now legal in the northwestern US state of
Washington.
SB 5001, which aims to bring about this
alternative to burial and cremation, has passed almost all stages of the
Washington State legislature.
Passed on 9 April by the House of
Representatives by a vote of 36 to 11, then on 19 April by the Senate by a
vote of 38 to 11.
He bill was signed into law on Tuesday by
Democratic Governor Jay Inslee.
"Well, this is exciting," Katrina
Spade, founder of the company Recompose, said on Twitter.
Since the ratification of the bill, the
company will be able to "gently convert human remains into soil"
within a month.
It was by enclosing a corpse in a large
container of alfalfa, straw and wood chips, she told the Washington Post.
In her view, allowing
"re-composting" in Washington state would pave the way for "a
future where our end-of-life choices help heal the planet".
One month in the US... one year in Belgium
The ecological argument is indeed the main
driving force behind the advocates of "Humusation", in the United
States and elsewhere.
In Belgium, the foundation "Metamorphosis
to die... and then give life".
Also, it mentions on its website "a
gentle, respectful and sustainable process of returning to the earth".
The process, the foundation explains, would
consist of depositing the body in a compost made up of shredded pruning wood.
Then covered with a layer of shredded plant
matter, all on a reserved and secure plot of land.
Within a year, the remains would be transformed
into "healthy and fertile humus", she claims.
In France, the subject has already been
raised by a member of parliament, but without any concrete follow-up for the
moment.
In March 2016, Elisabeth Lamure, questioned
the Ministry of the Interior on "the government's position on the possible
legalisation of humusation".
Stressing that the introduction of such a
practice into domestic law 'would raise important questions.
The ministry considered that these
questions required 'in-depth reflection, which could be pursued within the
framework of the .National Council for Funeral Operations. (CNOF)'.
A start-up has already patented a technique
This technique "is natural, safe,
sustainable, and allows for significant savings in land use", adds the
American Katrina Spade, who has promoted the law to local elected officials.
The young woman became passionate about
these alternatives to burial more than ten years ago and created the Seattle-based
company Recompose.
Which has developed a patented human
composting process that she is about to market.
According to the company's details, the
process simply involves accelerating the natural decomposition process of the
body.
That is by placing it with straw, wood
shavings, and alfalfa in a container.
Where the ideal conditions of humidity and
oxygenation are created for the bacteria to do their work.
After 30 days, the families of the deceased
receive about 0.65 cubic metres of enriched soil.
"The material we give back to the
families is very similar to the soil you might buy in your local nursery,"
says the start-up.
Humusation: A practice banned in France
This development is part of a rapid change
in attitudes towards the care of the bodies of the deceased.
According to a study commissioned in 2018
by the National Association of Funeral Directors, they were interested in eco-friendly care of
their bodies after death.
Burials have already become the number two
choice for Americans: the cremation rate exceeded 50% in 2016.
This return of the body to the earth is not
authorised in France. Current legislation only allows burial and cremation, when
questioned on the issue in 2016.
Interior Ministry replied that its
introduction would raise important questions, particularly with regard to .legal
status lack of the particles resulting from this technique.
Also, its compatibility with the article of
the civil code requiring that the remains of deceased persons be "treated
with respect, dignity. and decency".
