Turning human bodies into compost works, a small trial suggests
Breaking down bodies into dirt may be an environmentally friendly alternative to burial or cremation
Katrina Spade of Recompose, a human remains composting company in Seattle, holds compost derived from a cow (bag on left) and material used in the process such as straw, wood chips and alfalfa (bag on right). In 2019, Washington became the first state in the United States to legalize human composting.
Elaine Thompson/AP Photo