Rise of Human Composting and Green Burial Options

Moira Cathleen Delaney, who died in October at age 57 from an aggressive form of intestinal cancer, chose to have her body transformed into soil through natural organic reduction, fulfilling her love of gardening, birds and the forest. Her family sprinkled some of the resulting soil under her favorite backyard tree and distributed portions to close friends and relatives in glass jars for planting.

Interest in environmentally friendly body disposal options has grown in recent years, according to research commissioned by the National Funeral Directors Association. People cite concerns over the climate and health impacts of traditional practices like embalming, which uses formaldehyde classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as posing an unreasonable risk to public health, particularly for workers. Fire cremation, the most popular U.S. option chosen by nearly two-thirds in the survey, consumes energy equivalent to powering a 2,000-square-foot home for a week, often from fossil fuels. Caskets, vaults and cemetery maintenance also demand significant resources, including concrete production that contributes to global carbon dioxide emissions.