Calls from Bath Greens to legalise human composting to reduce carbon emissions
Bristol Green councillors want to legalise composting dead bodies in a bid to reduce carbon emissions.
Bristol Green councillors have called for “human composting” for dead people to be legalised to reduce carbon emissions from cremations.
The process, currently illegal in the UK but permitted in some US states and Sweden, involves placing the body in a biodegradable shroud, surrounding it with plant material such as sawdust and straw, and then microorganisms decompose it in a controlled environment.
The “soil” produced, after this finishes in two to three months, is then handed back to the family so they can plant a memorial tree or garden grown from their loved one’s remains.
During a debate about decarbonising Bristol City Council’s buildings, Cllr Abi Finch (Green, St George Central) said: “My point is off-piste and radical, and possibly sits more within the public health and communities committee.
“I recently found out about human composting as an alternative to cremation to burial.
“In Bristol we have the issue of not enough space for burial which we’re very aware of from recent public health and communities committee decisions.
“Cremation at scale has carbon impacts.
“Human composting isn’t yet legal in this country but I assume that the route to make it legal would involve a pilot somewhere, so I wondered if that was something that had been considered?”
Head of City Leap client and energy service Helen Reed replied: “It’s fairly safe to say that’s not within our remit in terms of what we would consider.”
Committee chairman Cllr Martin Fodor said: “That’s a fair reply but you’ve raised an interesting question – is there a lower carbon way for those who want their remains to be put to use.
“I would be quite happy with that when it comes to it, as long as they take out my new metal hip that had to be fitted.
“Maybe we need to raise that with the chair of the public health and communities committee and ask where it could fit into a strategy because it may fit in but we need to know how and where.
“Let’s record that we want to look into that but it might come back elsewhere, but it is a good low-carbon way to deal with remains.”
Rayo Premium