CNN
–
California has become the latest state to offer its residents an eco-friendly, if unorthodox, option, for their remains after death: composting.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law last Sunday, according to a newsletter from the author of the invoice, State Representative Cristina Garcia.
This process is officially known as “natural organic reduction” and involves “cultivating a gentle transformation into a nutrient-rich soil that can then be returned to families or donated.” conservation land,” the statement explained.
According to the release, natural de-organization is less harmful to the environment than the other two legal options (cremation and burial). Burial can allow chemicals to leach into the soil, and cremation requires burning fossil fuels and releasing carbon dioxide.
The law won’t go into effect until January 2027, according to the provisions of the bill. The law provides that the Department of Cemeteries and Funerals, a division of the Department of Consumer Affairs, will develop regulations for establishments implementing the process.
In the release, Garcia calls natural organic reduction “an alternative to final treatment that will not contribute to emissions into our atmosphere and will actually capture CO2 in soils and plants.” our mortar.”
“If more people get involved in organic reduction and tree planting, we can help tackle California’s carbon footprint,” she said. “This bill has been in the works for the past three years, and I’m glad it was signed into law. I look forward to continuing my legacy of fighting for clean air by using what’s left of me to plant trees. ”
Recompose, a company that has been offering natural de-organization since 2020, also praised the law in the release.
“Recompose is excited that the options for nativity-based care in California have expanded,” the company’s CEO and founder Katrina Spade said in a statement. “Natural organic reduction is safe and sustainable, allowing our bodies to return to the soil after we die.”
Based on Recompose’s website, The natural de-organization process works much like you would composting vegetables. The body was placed in an urn along with wood chips, alfalfa and straw. Over a month, the bacteria work to break down the body into a cubic meter of soil, which can then be used in a loved one’s garden or anywhere else.
Washington becomes the first state to legalize so-called “human composting” in 2019. Legislators similarly cited the ecological benefits of minimizing burials and cremations.
