Washington appears set to become the first U.S. state to allow a burial alternative known as "natural organic reduction'' — an accelerated decomposition process that turns bodies into soil within weeks. The bill legalizing the process, sometimes referred to as "human composting,'' has passed the state legislature and is headed to the desk of Democratic Gov. Washington state Gov. If Inslee signs the bill legalizing 'human composting,'' the new law would take effect in the state on May 1, 2020. Six human bodies — all donors who Spade said wanted to be part of this study — were reduced to soil during a pilot project at Washington State University last year.

Source: CBC News April 23, 2019 14:15 UTC