How Close is New York State to Legal Human Composting?

Wait, human composting? Does this mean that a person, after they pass, will go in the same place that you put the food scraps and the lawn clippings in the back yard? Um, not sure I want to be seeing that happen in the backyard.

Human composting or the more technical way to put it natural organic reduction after death, is currently legal and happening in 3-other states, Washington, Colorado, and Oregon.

What does human composting involve?

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Human composting or natural organic reduction after death, is done in a more Earth friendly environmentally conservative way. For instance, the space in cemeteries is limited in New York and other states, and cremation, while it might help with the space availability issue, still takes a tremendous amount of fuel to bring the human body to ash form. With the large amount of fuel use, it also puts chemicals into the air.

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So how can a body be composted in New York, without it being in the compost bin in the backyard?

justin sullivan for getty images

Ok, get the whole backyard thing out of your mind. Your friend or relative would go to a special place in New York where the composting is done in a controlled environment, in a way that standards will be set for the service. At this time, I am not sure if you will be able to get your person back in compost form, or just know that your loved one has taken their eternal sleep in a more environmentally friendly way.

So where does human composting stand in New York State as of September 2022?

Currently the bill is awaiting Governor Hochul's signature. Once it gets that and the guidelines for human composting are established, it would become a legal option in New York State 90 days after she signs the bill.

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