Ashes to ashes, corpse to #compost: #GreenWoodCemetery to offer ‘human composting’ starting in 2027

By Kirstyn Brendlen

"In pursuit of a more eco-friendly future, Green-Wood #Cemetery is going back to basics.

"Starting next year, the storied cemetery will offer a new burial option: 'natural organic reduction,' also known as human composting.

"The process is fairly similar to run-of-the-mill composting. Bodies are sealed in specialized 'pods' on a bed of hay, straw and alfalfa. The pods — designed to regulate moisture and airflow — rock gently back and forth to help speed decomposition.

"After just 40 days, the contents of the pod break down into roughly 160 pounds of nutrient-dense soil, which will be used to support Green-Wood’s many plants and trees. "

Learn more:
https://www.brooklynpaper.com/green-wood-cemetery-human-composting/

#SolarPunkSunday #GreenBurial #HumanComposting #NYC #BrooklynNY #CompostingHumanRemains

"And we have a lot of people that will also say, 'I want to be a tree,' or, 'I want to plant this tree at my mom’s grave.' We help them get to the place of understanding what it might be to be the whole forest."

John Christian Phifer for Atmos: https://atmos.earth/science-and-nature/giving-our-bodies-back-to-the-earth-the-rise-of-conservation-burial/

#Longreads #Death #Burial #Nature #Restoration #Earth #DeathCare #GreenBurial #NaturalBurial