Washington state passes bill that would allow human composting

WASHINGTON — Washington state lawmakers have passed a bill to allow human composting, according to CNN.

If Governor Jay Inslee decides to sign Senate Bill 5001 into law, it is to take effect on May 1, 2020.

Recomposition is the process of turning bodies of deceased humans into soil.

Katrina Spade, the CEO of Recompse, a company that wants to build a human composting facility, explained the process to KIRO 7.

She said the body is covered in natural materials such as straw or wood chips. Microbes then break down the body into the soil over a period of three to seven weeks.

Relatives can then choose to keep the soil in urns, use it to plant trees or spread it on public land in Washington state, according to the Associated Press.

CNN quotes the bill's sponsor Senator Jamie Pederson as saying that, "People should have the freedom to determine for themselves how they'd like their body to be disposed of..."