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Washington could become first state to legalize human composting

Washington residents "are very excited about the prospect of becoming a tree or having a different alternative,” state Sen. Jamie Pedersen said about the human composting proposal.
Credit: CAHNRS Communications / Washington State University

Washington could be the first state to allow human composting, according to a report from NBC News.

State Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, has sponsored a bill to expand options for disposing of human remains.

“People from all over the state who wrote to me are very excited about the prospect of becoming a tree or having a different alternative for themselves,” Pedersen told NBC News.

Recomposition involves putting human bodies in a vessel to speed up decomposition and then return the remains to the family. The method aims to be a more affordable and environmental option for dealing with human remains as burial and leach chemicals into the ground and cremation can release carbon dioxide.

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