Human Composting

Includes sensitive content of death and burial

Father Gianpaolo,

I am sending this article to you and as we have previously crossed paths and will surely do so again. I am moving forward with this legislation here in our State. Attached is the article that shows clarity to my position on composting human remains or Natural Organic Reduction, known as NOR.

(May 21 2019) Washington Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee signs legislation to legalize the natural organic reduction or composting of human remains effective May 1, 2020. The law bill 5001, allows for the conversion of a body into soil over several weeks as an eco-friendly alternative to cremation or burial. The body is placed in a container with materials like wood chips and straw, breaking down into soil over 3 to 7 weeks. Recomposition and alkaline hydrolysis are “wonderful options” that can show the world a better way of dealing with this universal human experience of death”

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Dear Senator Fred Grimes,

I have been made aware of your position, but the Church opposes human composting, natural organic reduction (NOR) because it violates the theological requirement to treat the deceased with reverence, dignity and respect and for failing to properly inter the body. Church doctrine prefers burial or cremation, viewing composting as turning remains into disposable waste, which contradicts the hope and promise for bodily resurrection. I have also attached for you, an article from the Catholic Bishops review.

(June 2020) Lack of Proper Interment: The process leaves nothing that can be identified or properly laid to rest in a sacred place, say the U.S. bishops. The process of recomposition; which mixes human remains with wood chips and soil, is viewed as utilitarian and not aligned with the sanctity of the human person. The Dignity of the Body, maintains that the human body is created in God’s image and must be treated with reverence. Turning the body into compost “diminishes” his creation and fails to honor the belief in the resurrection of the body.

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Father Gianpaolo,

I appreciate your position but basically, it’s composting the human body. It’s the same concept as composting at home. If you have ever composted stuff from your kitchen, food scraps, eggshells and garbage. The body is just broken down over the course of time, day after day, month after month and transformed into a bag of dirt. It is a very green option. I have my constituents tell me how they want to become a tree or a flower. First, they will become a bag of compost and then organically become a plant, think of it spiritually becoming another life.

(October 6, 2022) Oregon officially legalized natural organic reduction (human composting) after Democratic Governor Kate Brown signed House Bill 2574 into law July 1 2022. This legislation made Oregon the third U.S. state to permit the eco-friendly alternative to burial and cremation, allowing human remains to be converted into soil.

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Dear Senator Fred Grimes,

I fully reject the "Disposal" mentality: The Catholic Church argues that human bodies should not be treated as household waste or solely for the purpose of ecological decomposition. While composting is opposed, there are alternatives. The Church supports "green burials" that occur without embalming or concrete vaults. Methods like human composting and alkaline hydrolysis are not acceptable alternatives for Catholics. It might seem romantic to use the resulting compost to plant a tree in memory of a deceased loved one or family member, but it does not comply with Church teaching.

(March 2023) Comparison to Cremation: While the Church allows cremation, it mandates that ashes be kept together in a sacred place (like a cemetery) rather than being scattered which is why the Church opposes the "compost" being used to fertilize plants or trees.

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Father Gianpaolo,

I have introduced Senate bill 666 and it currently is up for review and would allow “Reduction” the process of converting human remains into soil. This would allow the organic reduction of remains. Again, offering my people another option besides cremation and traditional burial.

(September 30 2025) There are already 14 states that allow NOR and alkaline hydrolysis, the process where the body is dissolved with chemicals. They are expecting more research and peer-reviewed studies to prove that it is good for the environment and for public health. Some ecological activists express concern that alkaline hydrolysis could have a negative impact on municipal water systems because of the chemicals involved, and they criticized the legislation for not including screening to prevent dangerous pathogens from being released into the environment. Another meeting is expected in the coming weeks.

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Dear Senator Fred Grimes,

The Church teaching is not to scatter the cremated remains. Cremated remains are the body in another form. We are called to keep them together and bury them in a place of reverence. We don’t scatter remains or split them among family members as some people are apt to wear an amulet with the deceased ashes.

(November 2025) American Bishops conference. We seek and offer the deceased the dignity it deserves. Human beings are not to be disposed of. As Christians, their remains are to be taken care of in great reverence in anticipation of the resurrection. This legislation fails to ensure that the emerging technologies show sufficient respect for the deceased body. A more environmentally friendly option for burial may be natural fibers and wooden caskets.

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Father Gianpaolo,

If people aren’t interested, they don’t have to do it. But please don’t make that decision for others. They don’t have to take advantage of this. Half the state wants to do this, and the other half does not. Why should the half that doesn’t want this be able to dictate what the other half might want to do?”

(December 2025) According to Mr. John Moulding from Planet Entombing, a funeral Home based in Seattle, WA. “I think a lot of people like this option, It’s Green, organic and they have a spiritual tie to it. If someone wishes to use our out-of-state services, there may be an increase in the cost to ship the body. They can also use Fed-X or Amazon” Senator Grimes expects the price to come down and become affordable over time and hopes the cost to be around $3000-$4000. More options are available if people wish to take it. Like a vending machine of choices for people in dealing with a loved one’s remains”

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Dear Senator Fred Grimes,

As you say, I will not make the decision for others, only guidance. As God wants us to choose of our own free will. I cannot in good conscience support you moving forward with your legislation. Maybe before it is too late, you may feel a sense of compunction, realizing the consequences of your actions. I will pray for you and your interred remains.

(Jan 30 2026) In the discussions on this legislation Senator Grimes has heard the objections from the Catholic Conference of Bishops. The bishops lack of support with a desire for the remains to stay whole.

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Father Gianpaolo,

I’ve heard and registered your objections from the Catholic Conference of Bishops and lack of support. I understand it is the Churches desire for the remains to stay whole.

(February 10th 2026) Senator Grimes said the bill will be debated at upcoming hearings before it moves to the senate. Grimes has heard objections from the Catholic church and the conference of Bishops. “Their position has evolved and changed over the years on cremation and hopes it will change on (NOV) Reduction over time. Senator Grimes wants to make clear this method of handling remains is not a mandate, but rather just another option if people wish to take it. Saying “If you aren’t interested in it, you don’t have to do it, you can still be incinerated. But please don’t make that decision for everybody else. If it does pass, it would allow for roughly one to two cubic yards worth of remains. Depending on the size of the individual, processing will go to a pre-selected party, like the newly formed company, Terra Funerary. The client can then handle as they wish the vermiculite mulch to be used around a tree or in the garden. The larger or more obese the individual, the more square footage of area will be able to be fertilized. We are hoping that mass graves or burials in the future will also help reduce costs”