The move was approved by Kathy Hochul, the state’s governor, meaning human composting is now legal in six states across the U.S.
Human composting sees a body shut in a container, usually filled with material such as straw and wood chips, where it decomposes over a period of several weeks.
At the end of the process the resulting compost is typically given to the deceased’s family, who can deposit it in a place special to the person who died.
Advocates argue human composting produces fewer carbon emissions than either cremation or burial, and thus is more environmentally friendly.
Tom Harries, CEO of Earth Funeral, told Newsweek “each cremation is equivalent to a 600-mile car journey in terms of carbon dioxide [emissions].”
Writing for Newsweek Micah Truman, CEO of Washington-based human composting company Return Home, said: “A single cremation typically uses almost 30 gallons of fuel and emits an estimated 540 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and a person’s ashes are not useful to the earth.
“Conventional burial, meanwhile, takes up a huge amount of space and commonly uses embalming fluid with formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.”
Explaining his decision to found Return Home, Truman said: “I realized I had to do something that had true meaning; to give something back to the world and allow younger generations to have a world to live in.”
Speaking to Newsweek, after the New York legalization, Truman added: “Return Home is incredibly excited about New York’s recent human composting legalization. This is a huge step for accessible green death care nationwide.”
However, the process is controversial, and has been opposed by some religious groups.
Ahead of legalization in New York, the New York State Catholic Conference lobbied against human composting, which it claimed: “Does not provide the respect due to bodily remains.”
Dennis Poust, the conference’s director, said: “A process that is perfectly appropriate for returning vegetable trimmings to the earth is not necessarily appropriate for human bodies.”
Which U.S. States Allow Human Composting?
Washington was the first U.S. state to legalize human composting, followed in 2021 by Colorado and Oregon. In 2022, the practice was legalized in Vermont, California and finally New York, meaning human composting is now permitted in a total of six states.
In California, assembly bill 351, which made human composting legal, took effect in September after being signed by state Governor Gavin Newsom.
In response, Cristina Garcia, the Democrat who introduced the legislation to the California State Assembly, tweeted: “AB 351 was signed into law! It legalizes ‘human composting’ as an after-death option.
“Wildfires, extreme drought, record heat waves reminds us that climate change is real and we must do everything we can to reduce methane & CO2 emissions.”
Human composting is also legal in Sweden, while natural burials, when a body is buried without a coffin, are allowed in the U.K. according to the BBC.
Update 1/7/23 at 5:15 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional comment from Return Home CEO Micah Truman.
