Sydney MP moves bill to make human composting a reality

The final result after human composting is 1 cubic metre of nutrient-rich soil. (Supplied) Sydney MP Alex Greenwich is set to introduce a bill to pave the way for human composting in New South Wales. Also known as "terramation", the two-month process breaks down the body into nutrient-rich soil. Legal in the US and Germany, it has been touted as a greener and cheaper option compared to burials and cremations. Link copiedShareShare articleWhen it is Teresa Russell's time to go, she wants to be turned into human compost. Ms Russell has spent the past two years advocating for "terramation", a process where a body is placed into a vessel with organic matter and broken down into soil. The practice is currently only legal in Germany and 14 US states, which is why Ms Russell established the non-profit Earthly Legacy to bring the method to Australia. Teresa Russell has spent that past two years advocating for human composting ahead of new legislation proposed in NSW. (Supplied) Ms Russell said she wanted to offer a sustainable, greener alternative to burials and cremations, but the core of her mission was to provide a cheaper and equitable option over time. "We need to spread composting across all levels of society, and in fact help the poorest have a dignified, lovely, gentle, natural disposal of their bodies just as the wealthy can afford," she said. To make her dream a reality, Ms Russell enlisted the help of Sydney MP Alex Greenwich. Alex Greenwich (second from right) visited facilities in Seattle ahead of introducing his bill. (Supplied) Mr Greenwich was expected to introduce a private member's bill on Thursday to pave the way for human composting, legally known as natural organic reduction, to be allowed in New South Wales. "We are running out of burial space [and] that space can cost as much as $50,000," Mr Greenwich said. "We also know that cremation, can increasingly become expensive, with the upselling of coffins." The cost of a funeral can range from $8,000 to around $20,000 depending on the type of services chosen, according to the government website Moneysmart. This sum can cover prices related to a coffin, burial or cremation fees as well as a cemetery plot. Ahead of introducing the legislation, Mr Greenwich toured facilities Return Home and Recompose in Seattle, where human composting is legal. A shroud, or burial garment, covered in flowers in the human composting process at Return Home. (Supplied) He said if the bill was passed, sites could include a mixture of urban, semi-urban and rural and regional areas. Mr Greenwich said the eco-friendly burial method could become available as soon as 2027, and while pricing was yet to be determined he anticipated it would become "cheaper than cremation". "The environmental impacts of human body composting are minimal," he said. "We become about a cubic metre of really high-quality topsoil that can be used to regenerate land, that can be used in a person's garden where you can plant a tree to … honour a loved one." Premier Chris Minns on Sunday said he "felt a bit weird about it" and he was going to "kick the tyres" on the proposed legislation. Katrina Spade says a person can be composted into 1 cubic metre of soil. (Supplied) Katrina Spade has been operating Recompose since 2020, about a year after Washington State legalised natural organic reduction. While methods for human composting vary, Ms Spade said at her Seattle facility that composting a body took eight weeks and occurred in two phases. During the first stage the body is placed inside a vessel filled with wood chips, hay and sawdust. A vessel where human remains are composted at a Recompose facility. (Supplied) Microbes that remain in the body after death help speed up the decomposition process. "Then the mid-phase is where we screen for bone and non-organics, like a titanium hip," Ms Spade said. "The reduced bone and the soil that is what remains, and are recombined together for a curing phase of about one month." The final result is 1 cubic metre of nutrient-rich soil, which is enough for a small garden, Ms Spade said. "About half of our families choose to take everything home and the rest typically take a bag or two and donate the rest to land conservation organisations," she said. Tui Davidson from Earthly Remains in the ACT said Australia had a "very locked market" of mostly burial and cremation, with slight movement on eco-friendly options like shrouded cremation and natural burials. Tui Davidson is also an advocate for terramation, otherwise known as human composting or natural organic reduction. (Supplied) She said she was "super excited" to hear about Mr Greenwich's bill after spending years pushing for the practice to be introduced. "If I talk to 10 people and three of them talk to others, then the word is slowly getting out there and that's what creates social change," she said. A NSW cemetery operator says a new cemetery has not been made available fo

Sydney MP moves bill to make human composting a reality

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