In an effort to cut carbon emissions from burials and cremations, Washington became the first US state to legalise human composting. The governor has signed the bill which will go into effect in May next year. The process called recomposition gives an option to the people who die in the state to have their bodies transformed into soil suitable for use in gardening. Recompose, a Seattle-based company is the first to offer the service. The company has designed the project with Washington State University, which did clinical trials with donor bodies.
The process calls for a dead person to be placed in an hexagonal steel container filled with wood chips, alfalfa and straw. The container is then shut and the body is decomposed by microbes within 30 days. The end product is a dry, fluffy nutrient-rich soil resembling what one would buy at a local nursery and suitable for vegetable gardens. Everything including teeth and bones will be recomposed.
Katrina Spade, founder of the company claims that Recomposition offers an alternative to embalming and burial or cremation that is natural, safe, sustainable, and will result in significant savings in carbon emissions and land usage. We feel that this topic is of great relevance to our country as well because our culture believes in cremating the body and burying it in the soil, which has it's own religious manifestations.
In India we also have a tradition wherein cremation on the banks of holy rivers and immersing the ashes in the river is considered divine. Ganga is the best example. However, what about the carbon emission and pollution that results from such practices? We discuss with environmentalists, social workers, professors and youngsters about their take on the same. We also look into the emotional aspect connected with lending body of one’s beloved to make manure.
Indians might not be ready yet
Human composting in India is a very complex and complicated idea because at the end of the day, funerals are still performed according to what has been followed. For example, even if the child is from an urban setup, there is a deep-rooted connection to the way funerals are conducted. While talking about the impact that traditional funeral practices have on carbon emission, people should be made aware of it as there is a deep-rooted reverence to the ash and the bones of the deceased that are to be kept in peace. Tackling this can become a major challenge in implementing human composting in India. There is a strong sense of attachment to the remains to be left to rest. Plus, funerals are places where cousins, neighbours, elders etc. have very intricate roles to play. When someone might opt for such new methods, it can throw that off balance. Sustainable cremation definitely has to take place, but not necessarily through composting. If you look at the Kodava community from Coorg, there is a special land allowed for cremation, where they are cremated or buried. These lands will not be near water bodies, but inside the estates. So, the land is exclusive for funerals and it is considered sacred. There is a huge system of belief about the dead in India that will have to be reconsidered for implementing human composting. I personally don't think the majority of India is ready for a change like this, primarily because it has rich cultural diversity.
Will anyone buy it?
Religious sentiment of Indian society is very important. One should look into this before legalising human composting. Will Indian mindset accept scientific practices in case of funeral customs? At the same time, environmental issues and pollution must be taken into consideration. Lack of manure and burial grounds, and pollution may force future generations to think about recomposition. Still, huge infra structure is needed for the process of recomposition. If recomposition offers an alternative to embalming, burial or cremation, at least a few may be ready to be a fluffy nutrient-rich soil after death. But, who will buy human manure? Will anyone buy it?
Liquid cremation better option
The two traditional means of disposing human remains that are in practice now come with drawbacks. Burial takes up land, which is increasingly scarce in cities. And cremation, which recently surpassed burial as the most popular choice for disposing of human remains, produces significant greenhouse gases. Above ground decomposition, is attractive for ecological and financial reasons. There is no coffin, no chemicals and none of the fossil fuels is necessary for cremation. Some studies have shown that the energy used to cremate one body is the same as the monthly home-energy demands of an average American. Additionally, there is no need for a pricey cemetery plot. And some religious traditions favour ideas of simplicity and of earth returning to earth. I infer that the law will also allow for a process called alkaline hydrolysis, sometimes known as liquid cremation, in which heat, pressure, water and chemicals like Lye are used to reduce the amount of human remains. This one is eco-friendly and cost effective. It also provides an option for a person even after his/her death to be of use to make the world a better place for the future generations to dwell.
An eco-friendly procedure
Human composting is an eco-friendly step towards progress. In India, we generally either bury a body or cremate it according to religious beliefs. Ashes after cremation (a process that results in carbon emission) are then immersed into a divine river, further polluting our beloved environment. Human composting will result in significant savings in carbon emissions and land usage. It is a way of giving back to the world while dying. The idea of returning to nature is poetic in a way; you go back to the soil you have come from and give birth to life, hence, completing the circle of life.
Awareness needed
Although the initiative aims to cut down the carbon footprint, considering the religious sentiments, I'm not sure how well will this be received. We in the healthcare sector face the same problems when it comes to organ donation. Here in India, a majority of the masses is skeptical due to their religious sentiments. Perhaps, a considerable amount of awareness and counselling could help in increasing the number of registrations as donor bodies.
