Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust:  “Recompose”

By Shlomo Maital

      Katrina Spade is an architect, who co-founded Recompose.  It’s about human composting. If you’re put off by the very idea – best not to read on.  But trust me – it makes sense.  This is based on Katrina’s TED talk.

      So, what’s wrong with cremation?  Half of all US funderals today are cremations, and that is forecasted to rise to 75% or more.

       “Cremation destroys the potential we have  to give back to the earth after we’ve died.  It uses an energy-intensive process to turn bodies into ash,  polluting the air and contributing to climate change.  All told, cremations in the US emit a staggering 600 million pounds of carbon dioxide  into the atmosphere annually.”

       What’s wrong with ordinary burial in a plot/cemetery?

         “All told, in US cemeteries,  we bury enough metal to build a Golden Gate Bridge, enough wood to build 1,800 single family homes, and enough formaldehyde-laden embalming fluid to fill eight Olympic-size swimming pools. In addition, cemeteries all over the world are reaching capacity. Turns out, it doesn’t really make good business sense to sell someone a piece of land for eternity.”

        So, how does “Recomposing” or “Recomposting”  work?

          “Inside a vertical core, bodies and wood chips undergo accelerated natural decomposition, or composting, and are transformed into soil. When someone dies, their body is taken to a human composting facility. After wrapping the deceased in a simple shroud, friends and family carry the body to the top of the core, which contains the natural decomposition system. During a laying in ceremony, they gently place the body into the core and cover it with wood chips. This begins the gentle transformation from human to soil. Over the next few weeks, the body decomposes naturally. Microbes and bacteria break down carbon, then protein, to create a new substance, a rich, earthy soil. This soil can then be used to grow new life. Eventually, you could be a lemon tree.”

       Katrina’s company has the family come with a pickup truck, and gather the decomposed soil.  That’s how it becomes a lemon tree, pecan tree… or a lovely flower bed of petunias.  Would you like to visit your departed loved one, at a bed of smiley-face petunias?  Rather than at a cemetery, rows on rows of cold stones?

        So, hand on your heart.  Wouldn’t you like to become a lemon tree after death? And your loved ones pluck lemons and say, thanks, Dad!  Every year.  And then make lemon meringue pie. 

      By the way:  I found this stat startling.  A cremated body puts a quarter-ton  of CO2 into the atmosphere.  Really!