Pushing Up Daisies: The Surprising Benefits of Human Composting!

Literally Pushing Up Daisies: The Surprising Benefits of Human Composting!

Human composting. Two words you never thought you'd see in the same sentence unless you're Jeffrey Dahmer’s gardener. You're probably thinking, "Gross! I don't want to be chow for chrysanthemums!" But if you're part of the growing group interested in eco-friendly burials, these words come as a breath of fresh (albeit slightly compost-scented) air.

We're familiar with the age-old tradition of burial. For centuries, we've interred our dear departed in ornate caskets and majestic mausoleums extravagant enough to make an Egyptian pharaoh nod approvingly. Why, the funeral industry rakes in a whopping $20 billion a year - a clear sign we've been, quite literally, dying to get in.

So why the sudden change in burial fashion? We could blame environmental awareness, soaring funeral costs, or the millennials' whimsical desire to nurture daffodils post-mortem. But for a more learned insight, we need to go back to when we started painting our ancestors with embalming fluid. 

Embalming, a practice we stole from the aforementioned pharaohs, rose to popularity during the American Civil War as a means to preserve soldiers' bodies for transport. While it seemed like a practical idea at the time, we now know that embalming releases over 800,000 gallons of toxic chemicals every year, and let's not even talk about the mercury and carbon dioxide flying out of crematorium chimneys. Not exactly a legacy to leave behind, is it?

Enter human composting. We've been composting everything from banana peels to coffee grounds, so why not Aunt Sally? Using natural organic reduction (NOR), or human composting, we transform the dearly departed into nutrient-rich compost. This compost is then used to rejuvenate our gardens, parks, and forests. Imagine that - a green thumb even in the afterlife.

It might seem macabre to think of Uncle Bob as petunia fertilizer, but from an environmental and economic perspective, human composting is remarkably advantageous. It's a method that redefines the term "circle of life" and saves the environment in the process. Besides, it costs a fraction of a traditional burial, and wouldn't it be nice to take a vacation with the inheritance rather than blowing it on an extravagant coffin and plot? Just a thought.

Legal? Why, yes, indeed. Thanks to eco-conscious legislators, human composting is legal in six U.S. states as of now, with several others keenly eyeing the compost bin.

As for the process itself, it's relatively simple and somewhat fascinating[^16^]. The deceased is placed in a vessel with carbon-rich materials (and presumably a 'do not disturb' sign), and nature takes over from there. Bacteria, fungi, and the magical powers of decomposition transform the body into compost over a few weeks, monitored with an enthusiasm previously reserved for baking sourdough.

After achieving a bacteria-free status (which is somewhat ironic, considering we spend our lives trying to get bacteria *into* our gut), the compost is ready to be used. Some facilities even offer a service where the compost helps grow a new tree- a living, breathing memorial. It's rather poetic, don't you think?

Some other traditional and unspeakably modern means of burial you may find interesting:

1. Cryomation: This process freezes the body to -313°F (-192°C), making it brittle enough to be 'fragmented.' Removed metal objects result in a sterile powder that can be scattered or kept. However, this method is expensive, with prices around $200,000, excluding annual storage fees. In 2023, there are an estimated 500 bodies in cryonics storage worldwide, mostly in the US.

2. Plastination: Created by Gunther von Hagens, plastination preserves tissues, organs, and bodies using a formaldehyde-based solution, acetone, and a liquid polymer bath. This method is known for its use in the 'Body Worlds' exhibition. Interested donors can register with the Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg.

3. Sky Burial: This Tibetan Buddhist ritual dates back 10,000 years and involves a corpse being placed on a mountaintop to decompose and be consumed by scavengers. It's practiced in mountainous parts of Mongolia and China, where the ground is hard to dig, but it's illegal in Western societies.

4. Body Farm: Officially called a 'human taphonomy facility,' these controlled locations allow bodies to decompose naturally, providing valuable insights for forensic scientists. There are about 10 body farms worldwide, but they are not present in the USA due to opposition.

5. Reef Ball: These are artificial reefs made from concrete mixed with human ashes. They provide a habitat for sea creatures and an 'eternal' resting place for marine enthusiasts. A Florida-based charity, Eternal Reefs, charges $4,500 for this service.

6. Space Burial: This method sends cremated human remains into space. Most are suborbital, meaning the ashes fall back to Earth. Prices for this service start from $2,495 up to $12,500 from a US company called Beyond Burials.

7. Burial at Sea: This is the commitment of a whole body to the sea. An unattended water burial involves hiring a service to take your loved one's ashes and perform the water burial without family or friends present. The average cost of an unattended water burial at sea ranges from $200 to $500