NJ legalizes human composting, allowing remains to become soil
AUBURN, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 07: A view inside a human composting vessel and the materials used during the process at Earth Funeral on December 07, 2023 in Auburn, Washington. (Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images for Earth Funeral)
NEW JERSEY - Families who want to forgo a traditional burial to put their loved ones to rest in a more natural way can now do so in New Jersey.
What we know:
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill into law last week that "allows for natural organic reduction and controlled supervised decomposition of human remains."
It will allow funeral homes and facilities to offer the service across the state within the next 10 months.
Natural organic reduction, also known as human composting, is already legal in 13 other states: Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, California, New York, Nevada, Arizona, Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, Maine and Georgia.
What is human composting?
Dig deeper:
Human composting is the process of breaking down human remains into fertile soil, which can be used to plant new trees.
It is touted as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional burials, and is also said to be less expensive.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from NJ bill A-4085/S-3007.