The Natural Funeral: Would You Want to Be Composted?

There’s a lot of mystery surrounding cemeteries in this country. We know there are more than 20,000 registered, but a complete tally is harder to come by. Official cemeteries have not always been the only places used for burying the dead, which leaves a good deal of uncertainty about how much space is dedicated to burial plots. Not in question is the fact that, at some point, we will run out of land for this purpose. Many also agree that cemeteries are bad for the environment. So, what to do about it?

Of course, there’s cremation (also not great for the environment) and even water cremation (better), but now you can opt to be composted. In September 2021, Colorado became the second state to allow this new way of getting back to your roots—pun intended. The Natural Funeral in Lafayette has developed what they dubbed “The Chrysalis,” which is a vessel in which the body composting happens.

Once the six-month process is complete, families can collect about a pickup-truck bed of soil to spread on their flower beds. Grow on, Grandpa, grow on.