Washington on the cusp of becoming first state to legalize human composting

[brooklynite]

Seattle Times

Washington is just a governor’s signature away from becoming the first state in the U.S. to legalize the “natural organic reduction” of human remains, colloquially known as “composting.”

On Friday, the state Senate and House of Representatives finalized their approval of bill 5001 (titled “concerning human remains”), which enshrines “organic reduction” and alkaline hydrolysis, a dissolving process sometimes called “liquid cremation,” as acceptable alternatives to traditional burial and cremation.

Gov. Jay Inslee’s office said the governor hasn’t had a chance to review the final legislation yet. (Once it crosses his desk, he’ll have five days to act.) If Inslee signs the bill, the law would take effect May 1.

“I am very much in favor of the composting of human bodies!” said Wes McMahan, a retired cardiovascular intensive-care nurse who lives in Randle, Lewis County, and testified in support of the bill this week.

[samnsara]

1. actually New Orleans does something similiar already...

..they have crypt you can 'rent'..after a year and a day the remains in the crypt are reduced to ash from the heat and they are properly disposed of and then the box can be rented out again.

[Kaleva]

2. I can use my compost bin made of pallets as my final resting place!

How to Make a Human Composter from Pallets

[dubyadiprecession]

3. Is "liquid creamation" desired to save fuel...

And reduce carbon emissions?

[handmade34]

4. still can

bury on your own property in Vermont... close to composting

[Takket]

5. forgive my ignorance, but what benefit does this offer?

[Rambling Man]

7. soil nutrients

food for worms, bacteria, insects.

Win/win.

[brooklynite]

8. Major cost savings

No coffin, no urn, no burial plot...

[hunter]

6. I would like to feed California Condors and other scavengers...

... alas my remains will probably be too toxic.

Conventionally, the Pacific Ocean may have my ashes.

Otherwise, bury me somewhere I'm likely to be fossilized.

Maybe with the nuclear waste.