Earlier this month, the Oklahoma legislature passed HB 3660, which would allow natural organic reduction, or as it’s more commonly known, human composting, as an option for disposition. It was then vetoed by Gov. Kevin Stitt, who cited “moral and human dignity” as some of the reasons.
Alot of the discourse surrounding natural organic reduction is very reminiscent of churches’, specifically the Catholic Church’s, arguments against cremation. It wasn’t until 1963 that the Catholic Church lifted its ban on cremation. In 2016, the Vatican said in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that “cremation of the deceased’s body does not affect his or her soul, nor does it prevent God, in His omnipotence, from raising up the deceased’s body to new life.”
Those who choose human compostingdon’tseeit as desecration. Rather, they see it as being part of the circle of life. We live. We die. We return to dust. We become part of the earth. Just in a bit faster fashion. Because really, no matter what you do, when a body is buried, it will eventually turn to dirt. One could choose natural burial in a shroud or pine box (which not every cemetery allows -- a quick search found two natural burial parks and a handful of hybrid cemeteries in Oklahoma) or a traditional burial that includes embalming, a casket and a vault, and you would have the same result, just over years rather than the 30 to 60 days. And let’s not forget what one may see as desecration, another may not. We all choose disposition based on personal beliefs. Those who might choose human composting are doing so with the same deep thought and beliefs as anyone else.
The bill was specific on who could do this (licensed funeral homes) and how it should be done, the equipment needed and the test limits for the soil before it’s allowed returned to the families (who legally are the only ones who can accept the remains after they’ve been composted). It also lays out what can be done with the remains. In the bill, they are treated the same as ashes. Whatever is allowed with ashes would be allowed with composted remains. (Not to mention, this bill would not overrule the Oklahoma law that makes it a felony to sell human remains.) Upon looking at funeral homes that offer this service in other states, it seems that most families (about 70 percent at Return Home in Washington) take the entirety of the remains.These are used in personal flower gardens or for trees. Some are kept in special containers by the family, like ashes. In some cases, they donate them to conservation and reforestation efforts at the behest of the deceased or their family. (The Oklahoma bill does not allow this kind of donation.)
It’s also important to note that this isn’t necessarily a new thing. FOREST, the Forensic Osteology Research Station at Western Carolina University, began studying and developing human composting in the 2010s, according to an article in The Assembly NC in April 2023. Washington State University conducted another study before the practice was legalized in Washington in 2019, according to The New York Times.These studies found a human body could be safely reduced to soil in a four to six-week period and set the standard for how it’s done and how the soil should be tested in order to be deemed safe.
Most importantly, the bill did not force anyone to use composting. It simply allowed Oklahomans another option -- should they so choose -- for disposition. One that many in support of feel is more eco-friendly and more affordable. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the median cost of a traditional burial was $8,300 in 2023 and $6,280 for cremation. According to Earth Funeral, the average price of natural organic reduction is about $5,000 to $7,000, depending on the provider.
Oklahoma approved alkaline hydrolysis (water cremation) in 2021, though it’s still not as widely available in the state.Approving human composting would simply allow Oklahomans just one more option that would be more affordable and greener. For a populace that cares about protecting natural resources and land as much as it proclaims, it would seem that this would be welcomed.