New Yorkers can now be kings of the hill, top of the heap.
Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul on Saturday signed into law legislation to legalize natural organic reduction, better known as “human composting.”
The move makes New York the sixth state in the nation to greenlight green burials.
New York State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Westchester) and State Senator Leroy Comrie (D-Queens) co-sponsored bill to legalize human composting as part of state measures to eliminate carbon emissions by 2050.
Washington became the first state to legalize human composting in 2019. Colorado and Oregon followed suit in 2021, and Vermont and California in 2022.
The 60-day chemical-free composting process involves placing a person’s remains in a “bin” containing organic material such as straw, alfalfa, or sawdust. The box is sealed and hooked up to an HVAC system and the remains are allowed to decompose. After 30 days the contents are examined for inorganic material and the remaining bone is broken up and replaced. After another 30 days, the contents are returned to the family.
The end result is one cubic meter of nutrient-rich soil amendment, the equivalent of about 36 bags of soil, which can be used to plant trees or enrich protected lands, forests or gardens.
Washington state’s Return Home Ecological Funeral Service, which offers “human composting as a mortuary care option,” says it has received “tons of inquiries” from New Yorkers,
“Return Home is incredibly excited about the recent legalization of human composting in NYC. This is a big step forward for the affordability of green cures for death nationwide,” Return Home CEO Micah Truman told The Post Saturday afternoon.
Not everyone is a fan.
The New York State Catholic Conference was not dying to pass the bill when the Post asked about it in the spring.
“Composting and fertilizing may be appropriate for vegetable clippings or egg shells, but not for our mortal remains,” said Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, representing Timothy Cardinal Dolan and the state Catholic bishops in Albany.
With postal wires
