Committee Hears Bill To Allow Human Composting

DENVER (CBS4) - A bill in the Colorado State Legislature was heard by the House Energy and Environment Committee on Monday. It would allow human remains to be composted into soil.

Right now, nearly 80% of Coloradans choose to be cremated after death. That releases an estimated 573 tons of carbon dioxide per person, officials say.

CBS4 Political Specialist Shaun Boyd spoke with a Washington-based company that is offering this service.

Natural reduction, they say, involves placing a body in a vessel with straw, alfalfa and woodchips -- the right mix of carbon and nitrogen.

If the bill is signed into law, Colorado could be the second state to legalize the alternative burial process.

In:
• Colorado Legislature