Washington Legalizes Human Composting

[DanielBerhe]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48359571

          Washington is the first state to legalize human composting, new legislation allows people to choose to have their bodies turned into compost soil after they die much like cremation. I think giving people the option is great and if anyone wanted to have their body repurposed this is a viable option. It's also a more environmentally friendly alternative to cremation seeing as the process of creating the human compost only involves leaving the body in a steel container with alfalfa and wood chips for 30 days to decompose. Some concerns are that the process could be very expensive and right now there are only a few places in Washington that offer it as an option. As more states legalize the process I think this could become common practice although many people hold religious and spiritual value in placinging bodies a grave. Unlike Sweden which has already legalized human composting, Canada has yet to release legislation but I believe as more support grows Canada could soon follow.

[Jason Miller]

It is interesting to read the article posted regarding the state of Washington legalizing human composting. This method of dealing with human bodies after death supports sustainability, the conservation of land which would have been used as graveyards and the reduction of carbon gases however there might be some religious and ethical considerations to be worked out. Although there would not be a permanent grave site or a cremation urn as a memorial for the family, the composted body provides up to two wheelbarrows of dirt which could then be used to create a flower or rock garden which would still be a memorial. Other countries are starting to accept natural burials and composting and even the actor Luke Perry, who recently passed away, was buried in a mushroom suit which supposedly reduces toxins.