After death: Washington state set to become the first to allow human composting Seattleites will likely soon have a unique option to remember their loved ones after they die. Washington state is set to become the first to allow "natural organic reduction" as a burial alternative -- commonly referred to as human composting -- as a bill legalizing the process was approved by the legislature and now heads to Gov. Jay Inslee's desk. Democratic Sen. Jamie Pedersen of Seattle sponsored the bill because he said it makes sense -- it's a low environmental impact way to dispose of remains. "We can show the way for the world about a better way in dealing with this universal human experience," Pedersen said in a tweet. One Seattle-based company, called Recompose, developed a method to turn bodies into soil so those who have passed can give back to the Earth. In an interview with Forbes, founder and CEO Katrina Spade said currently, Americans are largely faced with two options after death: cremation and burial. "Both practices poison the planet -- this struck me as the wrong punctuation for lives lived in harmony with nature," Spade told Forbes. Burial takes up a lot of space, and those buried can "own" their plots forever, which is not sustainable, Spade said. Cremation releases greenhouse gases and particulates. But composting bodies could allow for the deceased to give back. The bill which sits on Inslee's desk also allows for the use of alkaline hydrolysis, which is already legal in 19 other states. This process uses heat, pressure, water and chemicals to reduce remains. If Inslee signs the bill, it will take effect May 1, 2020. Washington state lawmakers on Friday passed a bill that would allow residents to take part in “natural organic reduction” of human remains, citing in part research that said careful composted human remains could be safe for use in a household garden, reports said. I found this on 8chan...