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Recomposition Report & Body Composting Questions
- Alyssa Cavalieri
- Jun 1, 2020
- 3 min read
Recomposition is an upcoming form of body disposition, with a facility from Recompose expected to be ready in 2021. Washington State legalized body composting in 2019, and has been the first and only state to do so as of June 2020.
Recompose was founded by Katrina Spade, death-positive activist and member of The Order of the Good Death. According to an article by the Death Care Industry, the concept of recomposition was inspired when a friend of Spade's told her how large farm animals are composted. The process of recomposition takes much longer than cremation or alkaline hydrolysis, taking approximately a month rather than a couple of hours. The length of time taken also effects the price, leaving the cost of recomposition at about $5,500 for Spade's firm. However, this pricing estimate includes body transportation and death paperwork as well. It also negates the need for a casket, which cuts out that additional cost. During recomposition, the human body is returned to soil and gives it nutrients. An artist from Molt Studios has imagined that the Recompose facility would look something like this:
The body, alfalfa, straw, and wood chips are placed into a vessel and aerated while naturally decomposing. Heat expedites the process and the body is rotated to allow for a faster breakdown at the hands of microbes. The Death Care Industry describes the process as being "designed to optimize heat loving thermophilic microbes and bacteria with their work, which requires oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon, to breakdown everything on a molecular level (including bones) into a usable soil." After the process is completed, the remains in the form of nutritious soil are given back to the family or loved ones and are able to be spread on plants or left with Recompose to be used for conservation land. Rather than merely trying to reduce the negative impact of body disposition on the environment, recomposition gives back to it.
The individual capsules, as photographed by Olson Kundig and sourced from Science Alert:
Concerns come up about composting corpses, especially considering diseases and pathogens. However, as stated by The Order of the Good Death, livestock composting has been in place long enough to know that the process causes high enough heat to kill off pathogens. This has been confirmed by Professor Carpenter Boggs as well, a soil scientist brought in by Spade to help adapt the process for humans. In a quote from the Professor, she stated "We are certain that there has been a destruction of the vast majority of [disease-causing organisms] and pharmaceuticals because of the high temperatures that we reached." The soil that remains from the process can be safely used for plants and other purposes.
Another photo from Olson Kundig and Science Alert:
Recomposition uses much less energy than a traditional cremation and releases significantly less carbon dioxide into the environment. The remains are also eco-friendly in contrast to the chemicals that embalmed bodies can introduce to the soil. The largest obstacle for using recompositon for body disposition is the lack of legalization throughout the United States. It is crucial to support environmentally friendly death practices when they come to local lawmakers for legalization. Hopefully, many States will follow the example of Washington State and legalize human composting.
Until death do us part,
Alyssa
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