Human composting is now legal, despite Catholic bishops objecting

Human composting has become a post-mortem option in California.

The governor of California signed a bill on Sunday to allow the process of turning bodies into dirt.

The law will come into force in 2027, despite objections from state Catholic bishops

Burial, cremation, and alkaline hydrolysis are currently the only treatment options for death available in the Golden State.

Human composting, also known as natural organic reduction, is aimed at “individuals who want another way to respect their bodies after death.”

Washington State legalized the process in 2019. Colorado was her second state to legalize it, followed by Oregon and Vermont.

Human composting is seen as a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuel-intensive and carbon dioxide-emitting cremation.

In the human composting method, the carcasses are placed in a reusable container, covered with wood chips, and aerated. This creates an environment for microorganisms and essential bacteria. It takes about 30 days for the body to completely turn into dirt.

Kathleen Domingo, executive director of the California Catholic Conference, said the process “simply turns the human body into a disposable commodity.”

In June of this year, the California Catholic Convention submitted a letter of opposition to the bill.

In the letter, Domingo compared nature’s organic reduction to the way livestock are disposed of.

Using this method “can create an unfortunate mental, emotional, and psychological distance from the deceased,” she wrote.

In New York, where a similar bill is awaiting the governor’s signature, the New York Catholic Convention is also concerned.

In a statement, the council said it was inappropriate to compost human remains.

Acknowledging different beliefs about “treating human remains with reverence and respect,” the conference stated:

The process is “better for vegetable trimmings and egg shells than for human bodies,” the conference wrote.

In California, huge numbers of deaths from COVID-19 have flooded funeral homes. Los Angeles County has suspended air quality regulations for cremations.

Democratic Rep. Cristina Garcia, who introduced the bill, said it was “a sad reminder of the need to offer greener options.”

“We look forward to continuing our legacy of fighting for clean air by using our shrunken bodies to plant trees,” Garcia said after the governor signed the bill into law.

Death care experts say new eco-friendly procedures are important.Graveyards are filling up and people are looking for more sustainable methods.

Under California legislation, soil made by human composting methods could be used on private land with a permit.

The same restrictions apply to scattering cremated remains within the state.

The bill also prohibits the “mixing with others” of non-survivor’s remains.

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