Oregon could become second state to allow human composting

(MARCH 8, 2021) Most Oregonians recycle paper, plastic, and glass. Many people also compost food scraps. "To compost" means letting organic material decay until it is like dirt. Then the compost can be added to soil to improve its quality.

Oregon state government is reviewing a bill about a new kind of composting. A "bill" is an idea or proposal for a new law. The bill would allow human composting (also called "organic reduction"). One process, for example, can turn bodies into soil within weeks.

According to KATU News, "The natural organic reduction process includes placing the body in a vessel with natural materials including woodchips and straw. The body is then heated up to 131 degrees Fahrenheit with the natural materials for 30 days and then 2 to 4 weeks for the remains to dry before being given to the family as soil."

State Representative Pam Marsh from Ashland told KATU News, "The soil is like topsoil, it really can be distributed on land, it can be set in a forest, you can do anything you want with it that you normally do with soil."

The option would be available from some funeral businesses, and the state would have rules that control the process. Supporters say human composting is good for the environment. It uses less energy than cremation, and it uses less land than traditional burial.

"The process is proven more environmentally sound than a burial, which can leach chemicals into the ground, or cremation, which uses fossil fuels and releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere," according to the bill.

Darin MacRae lives in Milwaukie and thinks the bill is a good idea. In a letter of support, MacRae wrote, "Knowing that my remains could benefit the environment that has given me so much joy over the years gives me peace."

Washington is the only other state that allows human composting at this time. It began in 2020. That state has two businesses that offer the service.