What is human composting and should it be legalised? These green-minded souls say yes

Bunbury resident Julieanne Hilbers wants the state government to legalise human composting. (ABC South West WA: Amelia Searson)

Julieanne Hilbers smiles as she thinks about her body being transformed into soil after she dies.

“The reality of life is 100 per cent of us are going to die,” she says.

“For me, a good death would be one that gives back to the earth.”

Dr Hilbers spends much of her life with her hands in the dirt, planting native shrubs and flowers at her two properties in Western Australia’s South West region.

She is not keen on the idea of a traditional burial or being cremated and has her eye on a greener method that is not yet legal in Australia.

Human composting is growing in popularity in America as a more affordable and environmentally friendly way of laying people to rest.

The process is similar to regular composting — along with wood chips, mulch, and straw, a body is placed inside a vessel that is slowly turned and aerated over about 10 weeks.

“Think about a compost bin — it’s the same process of matter breaking down because we’re organic beings,” Dr Hilbers says.

“Those natural processes actually lead to our body coming out with beautiful soil at the end of it.”

Loved ones would then be able to keep the soil to scatter or plant in a garden.

“There’s quite a lot going on in America in this space and they’ve shown that it’s about 87 per cent more energy efficient because you’re not using fossil fuels to burn off, you’re not creating pollutants,” Dr Hilbers says.

“What we’re actually doing is creating something that is replenishing the earth — it’s not actually creating a problem.”

Conservation burials

Ever since he was young, Jim Underwood has thought about where his final resting place will be.

Having worked in marine and land conservation, the environment has been a central focus in his life.

“I’ve always liked the idea of the nutrients and the leftover energy in my body being taken up by plants and put back into oxygen into the world that we breathe,” Mr Underwood says.

“This conservation burial could be a way that really brings that forth.”

Natural burials already occur at some cemeteries in a designated area without headstones.

They include biodegradable coffins or shrouds and are conducted on the condition the body has not been embalmed.

As the Connecting Country Coordinator at Gondwana Link, Mr Underwood’s day job focuses on reconnecting natural habitats to create a nature corridor across the South West.

The idea of a conservation burial, he says, combines natural burials with ecological restoration projects.

“We could start to be able to bury people on land that is degraded and use it for a way to bring people back into that landscape, repair it, renew it, and also, at the same time, have a natural setting that is beautiful and respects their loved ones that have passed away,” Mr Underwood says.

“The intention of it is to give back to country, to be able to use that last offering of our body.”

As it stands, to be buried in such a way outside a designated cemetery requires ministerial approval.

Push to legalise greener burials

Despite growing interest in more eco-friendly forms of burial, human composting and conservation burials aren’t yet an option in Australia.

Dr Hilbers is part of a group called Earthly Remains, which alongside Gondwana Link, is advocating to legalise human composting and conservation burials in WA.

Earthly Remains has made a submission to the state government, which is reviewing the Cemeteries Act and Cremations Act.

A Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries spokesperson says the review is aimed at ensuring these laws reflect community expectations and needs.

“On 15 November 2023, the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) released a discussion paper as part of a review of the Cemeteries Act 1976 and the Cremation Act 1929 for public comment,” the spokesperson said.

“The discussion paper outlined a range of topics for feedback, including alternative methods of burials and cremations, and burials outside of proclaimed cemeteries or in closed cemeteries.”

“The responses received are currently being reviewed by DLGSC to inform potential next steps.”

Dr Hilbers hopes human composting becomes an option so that her final resting place can be in her own backyard.

“I’d be very happy to be in this garden,” she says.

“I also have a land for wildlife property out further inland and I’d be very happy there, too.”