Community Chat

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

If I didn't already have a plan on cremation I go body farm in a heartbeat.

What ever is done dead is dead,  you aren't going to know where or what is going on.

[gertrudecloset]

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@Trailrun23 wrote:

I am sure this is against many religious beliefs. How horrible for family members to even think a loved one would be treated like this. 

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It is against the Christian belief of Catholicism, from what I read.  The only other cultures that I think of off the top of my head who do burial w/o the coffin are in Asia and some African countries.  

There are sooo many cultures that don't bury their loved ones in coffins and put them in the ground.  In the USA, we have cremation and burial as options and now (if this new way of doing a "green burial) takes on with other states it will be a third option.

[gertrudecloset]

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@Cakers3 wrote:

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@gertrudecloset wrote:

From what I gather "The Catholic Church" opposes this.  They think it's wrong according to their beliefs....

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@gertrudecloset   Against human composting, yes. 

The RCC approves of natural (green) burials, however.  Many Catholic cemeteries now have natural (green) burials.

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That's interesting.  What I've read and what was provided my someone else in a cited article says the "Church" frowns upon it.

[gertrudecloset]

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@MorningLover wrote:

A demonstration "vessel" for the deceased is pictured among the other vessels during a tour of the Return Home funeral home, which specializes in human composting, in Auburn, Wash., on March 14, 2022.        

JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images

SFGATE:

California just legalized 'human composting.' Not everyone is happy.

The process of composting a cadaver, already legalized in Washington, Colorado and Oregon, involves placing the body in a reusable container, surrounding it with wood chips and aerating it to let microbes and bacteria grow. After about a month, the remains will decompose and be fully transformed into soil. Companies such as Recompose in Washington offer the service at a natural organic reduction facility. 

Unlike cremation, the process avoids the burning of fossil fuels and emission of carbon monoxide. National Geographic estimates that cremations in the U.S. alone emit about 360,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year. 

During the early depths of the coronavirus pandemic, when funeral homes were inundated, Los Angeles County suspended regulations on cremation emissions.

The author of the bill, member Cristina Garcia, says the threat of climate change motivated the new law. 

“AB 351 will provide an additional option for California residents that is more environmentally-friendly and gives them another choice for burial,” said Garcia in a statement. “With climate change and sea-level rise as very real threats to our environment, this is an alternative method of final disposition that won’t contribute emissions into our atmosphere.”

Garcia added that she herself may choose the method when she passes away. "I look forward to continuing my legacy to fight for clean air by using my reduced remains to plant a tree," she wrote.

The idea of composting human remains has raised some ethical questions. 

Colorado's version of the law dictates that the soil of multiple people cannot be combined without consent, the soil cannot be sold and it cannot be used to grow food for human consumption.

The California bill bans the combining of multiple peoples' remains, unless they are family, but unlike Colorado, California is not explicitly banning the sale of the soil or its use growing food for human consumption. 

The process has met opposition in California from the Catholic Church, which say the process "reduces the human body to simply a disposable commodity."

"NOR (natural organic reduction) uses essentially the same process as a home gardening composting system," the executive director of the California Catholic Conference said in a statement shared with SFGATE. She added that the process was developed for livestock, not humans.

"These methods of disposal were used to lessen the possibility of disease being transmitted by the dead carcass," she said. "Using these same methods for the 'transformation' of human remains can create an unfortunate spiritual, emotional and psychological distancing from the deceased."

The church also said that the process, which may lead to remains being dispersed in public locations "risks people treading over human remains without their knowledge while repeated dispersions in the same area are tantamount to a mass grave."

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Yes, so like I thought, "The Church" does not like it.  Why they allow it is another story I'm not getting into here.

[gertrudecloset]

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

What I want to know is ... how much does this cost, compared to other burial options?

Thus far, the weirdest thing (to me) is to just donate your body to science.  Who knows where and how you'll end up .....   

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Good question. 

However my primary concern is not cost ~ it is WHAT KINDS OF decaying matter (if the person died of a diseased body) will affect the soil for years to come?  We still grow stuff here.  We already have natural soil problems (arsenic; lead, and one more big one I can't remember the name of). edited to add: RADON was the other problem I was thinking of....

I don't care how people "bury, or otherwise inter themselves at death ~ so long as it doesn't affect the living they've left behind.

[RollTide2008]

When I’m dead, I don’t care what happens to my body. Make me into compost and put me in my garden.

[stevieb]

I suspect there are differences between natural burials and composting. Natural burials are not uncommon, though in my area I believe that choice does require going to a specific cemetery that only does natural burials. I don't have a problem with that concept, though I'm not sure I'd want to go so far as to become compost.

[gertrudecloset]

Natural burial is as regulated as the rest of the funeral industry, so you can’t just bury someone in a forest or even on your own land without the right permits. Some funeral homes and cemeteries can help you with this process, but as they often have regulations about burial vaults, you are probably better off finding out how to bury a loved one on your own land or finding a green burial organization designed for this purpose.

If you don’t want to move entirely over to natural burial, you can take small steps to make a difference.

• Opt out of embalming and other preservation techniques.
• Select a natural coffin made from materials that biodegrade easily (renewed or recycled materials are best). You can also look for woven fiber or particle board options.
• Choose to plant a shrub or tree instead of placing a headstone.

You can also contact one of the few natural burial cemeteries that allows for this kind of process. Because they are typically only found in larger cities or in areas where eco-friendly practices are at their highest, you may be forced to research local regulations to find out what’s available in your town.

Natural Burial in the United States (imortuary.com)

Forgive me if I forego doing this for any of my relatives.  What they do with me , I would have to tell them upfront, I guess.  I'd prefer cremation over this "natural decaying" of diseased bodies back to our soil.

[ALRATIBA]

If you've ever watched "Forensic Files" .... murderers have been doing this sort of "burial" for many many many years.  

What's next ...air-lifting the bodies to the Arctic for the bears to eat?

[Tinkrbl44]

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@proudlyfromNJ wrote:

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

What I want to know is ... how much does this cost, compared to other burial options?

Thus far, the weirdest thing (to me) is to just donate your body to science.  Who knows where and how you'll end up .....   

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@Tinkrbl44  I agree with donating to science, whatever that entails. Who know how and where you end up. My parents donated to the medical school in their state. You have a number to call when it happens, they have the body picked up right away and bring to the school. The body is for the medical students to learn from. They keep it for two years, cremate and send ashes to the family. They then hold a service at the school for relatives and the students thank them, etc. etc. and then have a luncheon for everyone. 

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@proudlyfromNJ 

Wow ... I had no idea!   Thank you for posting this information.   I haven't changed my mind, but I appreciate your posting what happens.