California will allow human composting as an alternative to traditional burial methods. House Bill 351, proposed by Democrat Cristina Garcia, was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday and will start being implemented in 2027. With this decision, California joins Washington, Colorado, Oregon and Vermont in this practice.
The Catholic Church does not agree with human composting. The executive director of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Peter Marlow, told SFGATE that Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone opposes the law.
Church opposition
Last year, the Colorado Catholic Conference said it would not support the practice, arguing that the Church "teaches that the human body is sacred and the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral society."
For its part, the New York State Catholic Conference stated, "It is essential that the body of a deceased person be treated with reverence and respect," adding that "that method is more appropriate for vegetable trimmings and eggshells than for human bodies."
Arguments of the creator of the law
Cristina García proposed this law arguing that it is an"environmentally friendly" option and added:
With climate change and sea level rise as very real threats to our environment, this is an alternative method of disposal that will not contribute to emissions into our atmosphere.
How is composting done in humans?
Garcia also explained that the composting process in humans is known as natural organic reduction (NOR). This involves placing bodies in individual containers to allow for transformation along with nutrients and can then be returned to families or donated to conservation lands, and she said the result "is a completely safe and economical method of disposal that offers additional options for people to direct their final wishes." The decomposition process takes 30 to 45 days.
