Green Human Waste

Only seven states have legalized human composting as a burial practice. That's why 29 percent of the bodies brought to Recompose, a composting facility in Seattle, come from out of state. Discover how human waste is being converted into renewable energy and what this means for sustainable waste management.

Human composting is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional burials and cremation. Learn how it works, what the benefits are, and where it's legal. It's common to compost food scraps, yard waste, and other organic materials.

But what about humans? While radical and unconventional to some, human composting is the latest alternative in green funerals. The Helsinki-Uusimaa Circular Hub is a community with municipalities, various organisations, research institutions and experts. Scientists and industry insiders are raising concerns about human composting, a process that converts human remains into a substance that could potentially enter the U.S.

food supply. The "natural organic reduction" process, which became legal in Washington state in 2019, involves dissolving human remains using heated water and an alkaline solution, leaving behind no DNA, []. New research shows composting human waste produces an effective fertilizer for agriculture while increasing safety, sustainability and jobs, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste.

However, the recycling potential and technological applicability of green waste remain poorly understood possibly due to limited knowledge of its complicated generation and composition characteristics. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the scope, generation, characteristics, and mainstream recycling technologies of green waste. The hub is also involved in national Green Deal initiatives and seeks to contribute to the realization and implementation of its goals in the five themes.

In brief, The Hub is an ecosystem looking for new business opportunities, innovations and building pilots! Check out our map of circular economy businesses and projects around the area! New Cotton project develops and tests technologies and circular economy models for recycling textiles and utilizing textile waste. Twelve players in the fashion and textile industries are breaking new ground by demonstrating an entirely circular model for commercial garment production.