Human composting is now legal in Washington

Well this is pretty cool! Or gross. Or weird. Depends how you look at it…

The governor of Washington just signed legislation approving composting as an alternative to burying or cremating human remains, making it the first state to do so.

Basically, you take your deceased loved one to a licensed facility – not just some random guy’s garden – where they will be mixed with things like wood chips and straw. In a few weeks, your loved one will decompose and become about two wheelbarrows’ worth of soil. Exciting stuff!

You ARE allowed to keep the soil to spread, similar to how you would spread someone’s ashes, or to use to plant vegetables or a tree or whatever.

If you think this is weird and are wondering why anyone would ever do this, it’s said that it “gives meaning and use to what happens to our bodies after death.”

It’s also an environmentally friendly alternative to cremation, which releases carbon dioxide into the air.

Well, you say, what about burial? Yes, it’s more environmentally friendly than burial as those buried are usually drained of their blood, filled with formaldehyde and other chemicals, and placed in what is basically an indestructible coffin. So putting all that in the ground = no good for Earth. Sorry to get graphic, just gettin’ the facts out there!

Interesting alternative… Good on ya, Washington!