New Jersey Gov. Murphy signs law to allow human composting in the Garden State
It’s now legal in New Jersey for the departed to be used to nurture the soil.
During World War I, the phrase “pushing up daisies” was used to describe soldiers who were dead and buried, their decomposing bodies metamorphosed into flower food.
Cut to this week, when New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law a bill that makes it legal in New Jersey for the departed to be used to nurture the soil. The legislation “allows for natural organic reduction and controlled supervised decomposition of human remains.”
An idea that legislators overwhelmingly embraced, the bill was passed in June with bipartisan support: 37-2 in the Senate, 79-1 in the House. The law goes into effect in 10 months, when New Jersey’s nickname, “The Garden State,” will apparently take on new significance.
The new law will afford New Jersey residents “more choice and dignity at the end of life while protecting the environment we leave behind,” said a cosponsor of the bill, Democratic State Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese, in a statement on Friday.
Calabrese, who represents Bergen and parts of Passaic Counties, added that the process eliminates harmful embalming chemicals and avoids the carbon emissions of cremation, “making it a safe, respectful, and sustainable option for families.“
New Jersey becomes the 14th state to legalize the practice. It’s not yet legal in Pennsylvania, though Democratic State Rep. Chris Rabb, who represents Philadelphia, is working on a bill to allow the practice in the commonwealth.
However, there are currently no composting facilities on the East Coast, compelling people to ship the bodies of loved ones across the country.
Human composting, also known as natural organic reduction, or terramation, was first legally permitted in Washington state in 2019.
In the composting process, the body is placed in a vessel with organic materials, like mulch and wood chips, for around 45 days, according to Earth Funeral, a Washington-based company that offers the service. Microbes that occur naturally transform the body into about a cubic yard of nutrient-rich soil.
A consumer survey conducted by the National Funeral Directors Association found that more than 60% of respondents said they’d be interested in exploring sustainable alternatives to traditional burial and cremation methods.
The human composting process, which costs around $5,000, is less expensive than the average traditional full-service burial in New Jersey (more than $9,000), and a full-service-cremation (nearly $7,000), according to consumer advocate Funeralocity. Direct cremation without a service averages around $2,500.