Spring 2021 - Community Spotlight
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Colorado Natural Organic Reduction of Human Remains
Colorado Human Composting Law – For Your Information
Colorado SB21-006 Human Remains Natural Reduction Soil
Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) of Human Remains is an environmentally friendly end-of-life option and is now legal in Colorado.
On Monday, May 10, Colorado became the second municipality in the world to legalize human composting. Governor Jared Polis signed SB21-006 Human Remains Natural Reduction Soil into law and legal as of August 8, 2021.
To summarize, this bill authorizes human remains to be converted to soil using a container that accelerates the process of biological decomposition.
Here are the basics of Natural Organic Reduction.
- The process allows the nutrients of human remains to return to the earth, to perpetuate the cycle of life.
- Natural Organic Reduction produces approximately 1 yard of soil for families to take home and/or be donated to environmental restoration projects around the state.
The process works as follows:
- First, the body is placed into a specially purposed vessel surrounded with straw and wood chips and alfalfa.
- The body stays in the vessel for 30 days. During that time, microbes rapidly transform the body into soil.
- The soil is then transferred into a large container and left to cure for one more month.
A provision is added to current law that allows the disposal of abandoned naturally reduced remains if the remains are not claimed within 180 days after natural reduction. The bill prohibits the following when done in the course of business:
- Selling or offering to sell the soil;
- Commingling the soil of more than one person without the consent of the person with the right of final disposition unless the soil is abandoned;
- Commingling the human remains of more than one person within the container wherein natural reduction produces soil;
- Using the soil to grow food for human consumption.
Current law has a provision that governs the disposal of abandoned cremated remains. The soil from natural reduction is added to this provision, with an option to return the soil to the earth in a respectful manner.
To read more about Colorado’s natural burial options check out the following links:
To contact any of our funeral providers who can help answer your questions about green burial options, click the button below!
