By Staff, Agencies

New South Wales, Australia, has moved closer to legalizing human composting as an alternative to burial and cremation after the state parliament approved legislation allowing human remains to be transformed into compost.

The bill, introduced by independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich, passed the upper house on Wednesday after receiving unanimous support in the lower house last week. It now awaits formal assent, with implementation subject to a minimum two-year waiting period.

Known as “terramation” or natural organic reduction, the process involves placing a body in a vessel containing wood chips, straw and other plant materials. Microbes gradually break down the remains, producing material that can eventually be used to nourish trees and gardens.

US-based operator Recompose says its process takes between eight and 12 weeks, including a curing period. Remaining bones are mechanically ground and returned to the mixture, while artificial implants are removed.

Under the proposed NSW framework, families would be able to take the resulting compost home for use around a memorial tree or garden, or arrange for it to be placed elsewhere.

The legislation also establishes safeguards requiring operators to respect a deceased person’s written wishes, prohibiting composting when the individual explicitly objected to the practice.

Supporters argue that human composting requires less land and energy than conventional burial and cremation, potentially reducing both the environmental impact and financial burden associated with death.

“We are running out of burial space [and] that space can cost as much as $50,000 [Australian dollars],” Greenwich told ABC in June. He predicted that composting could eventually become cheaper than cremation, although prices have not yet been established locally.

The proposal has also drawn criticism. NSW Premier Chris Minns said in June that he felt “a bit weird about it,” while Catholic Weekly columnist Michael Cook called the practice a “bizarre solution to saving the planet,” arguing that it conflicts with religious principles concerning respect for the human body.

Human composting has already been legalized in several US states and parts of Germany. England and Wales are also considering regulatory changes that could eventually permit the practice.