The following blog post was written by Casey Husseman Brandt, Executive Director of People's Memorial Association, in response to the December 14, 2024 Seattle Times article: 5 years after its legalization in Washington, human composting takes root by Brendan Kiley. Casey and PMA recommend you read that article for context, as the article is referenced and quoted many times!
At People's Memorial Association, we've spent 86 years advocating for affordable, dignified deathcare for all. Even in the short time I've been the executive director, I've seen how hungry consumers are for more diverse options for how they care for their loved ones. More and more folks are especially interested in learning more about the environmental impact of the options available and what they can do to make their deaths as "green" as their lives. It makes me proud to be part of an organization that worked so hard to legalize human composting and alkaline hydrolysis back in 2019, and continues to work hard to make sure Washingtonians know their options, as well as their rights.
Greener funeral options completely flip the script of what a “traditional” American funeral looks like, and that’s a good thing. Composting is the direct result of Jessica Mitford’s work on 1963’s The American Way of Death. The best-selling book examined the state of deathcare in our country, asking tough questions and asking us to dream bigger about what we need to care for our loved ones. When I was growing up, like many people, I parroted the phrase, “I want to be a tree after I die.” Composting is the closest the funeral industry has ever come to delivering this service! It’s beautiful, it’s creative, and it’s awe-inspiring in the face of the finality of death. I’m proud to be able to offer it as a service through The Co-op Funeral Home and proud to see its adoption increase.
Part 1 of 4: The State of Green Deathcare, 2019-2024
In 2019, when Washington State was the first to legalize human composting, few could have predicted how quickly this innovative disposition method–or method for handling a dead body–would gain traction. On December 14, 2024, the Seattle Times wrote the article titled “5 years after its legalization in Washington, human composting takes root.” In those five years, we at PMA have seen remarkable progress in both public acceptance and industry development.
What began as a novel concept has become a growing segment of the deathcare industry. The numbers tell the story: three facilities in King County perform human composting, with a combined capacity of 138 vessels–one body per vessel, according to the Seattle Times. Together, they've composted approximately 2,000 bodies over the past five years, representing about 1.4% of all Washington deaths. While this percentage might seem small, it represents significant growth for a completely new disposition method that didn’t become available to the public until five years ago. And the reach of who can access composting services is larger than three funeral homes! People's Memorial Association surveyed over 200 funeral homes all across Washington state in 2022 and nearly 25% of funeral homes were already offering composting services. If you’re curious if your local funeral home offers composting, give them a call and ask, or check out the results of PMA's statewide price survey and see for yourself.
“A 2024 consumer survey by the National Funeral Directors Association found 68% of respondents were interested in “green” funeral options, up from 55.7% in 2021.” -- Brendan Kiley, Seattle Times article December 14, 2024
Perhaps most telling is the shift in consumer sentiment. According to recent data from a survey conducted by the National Funeral Directors Association, "68% of respondents were interested in 'green' funeral options, up from 55.7% in 2021." “Green” is a broad label and includes a wide range of services from alkaline hydrolysis to green burial to composting. Current estimates indicate that composting is by far the greenest method available, as the nutrient rich soil this process produces is the fastest and clearest pathway to achieving that dream of becoming a tree... or even nurturing an entire forest. Notably, this growing interest in environmentally-friendly deathcare spans traditional demographic and political divisions, with the Seattle Times pointing out that "the process has gained bipartisan support and appeals to both urban environmentalists and rural farmers."
It's intriguing to see how the internet has shaped this industry development. As Brienna Smith, office manager and funeral director at Return Home, explains in the Seattle Times article, "The internet [...] brought the idea directly to consumers, who got excited. The funeral industry couldn’t hold NOR at arm’s length forever." Direct-to-consumer education has has been instrumental in tackling any initial skepticism toward this newer option and has driven the accelerated adoption across the country.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of 4 of this blog series next month...
