Delaware funeral services explore eco-friendly burial demand

DOVER — Delaware has added a surprising new strategy to reducing its carbon footprint, as it is now the 10th state to pass a human composting bill, allowing individuals to remain eco-friendly even in death.

In May, Governor John Carney signed House Bill 162, making human composting legal in Delaware. Human composting, an alternative to traditional burial, transforms a body into nutrient-rich soil through microbial decomposition. After death, the deceased body is placed in a biodegradable container with organic materials like wood chips and straw and kept in a controlled environment where microbes break it down over several weeks into natural organic material.

State Sen. Laura Sturgeon (D-Hockessin), the bill’s Senate sponsor, explained that human composting offers grieving families death care options that align with their values of sustainability, renewal, and environmental replenishment.

“Human composting gives Delawareans the opportunity to minimize their carbon footprint for a cleaner, healthier environment for future generations,” Sturgeon said. “It is a form of human remains disposition that is consistent with the values of environmental protection, while also being the most natural of all postmortem choices. The deceased body is literally returned to the Earth as nurturing soil upon which grieving families can grow trees, flowers, or whatever they wish.”

Since the bill passed, it remains to be seen what the demand will be for human composting although the industry is starting to offer the service. According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) 2024 Consumer Awareness and Preferences Report, 68% of people are interested in exploring green funeral options because of environmental benefits. 

Recompose, a Seattle-based green funeral home specializing in human composting, has already fielded requests from Delaware residents who want this option for themselves or a loved one. To meet demand, Recompose has partnered with Faries Funeral Directors, a Smyrna-based funeral home, to offer human composting services in Delaware.

Katrina Spade, the founder and CEO of Recompose, shared that since its founding in 2017, there has been a growing interest in green funeral options, particularly human composting. 

“The idea of returning to the earth by becoming life-giving soil resonates with many people. Our clients appreciate that their funeral care benefits the planet and is carbon-friendly. Family and friends of those we’ve served often speak about the meaningful experience of planting a tree or nurturing a garden with their loved one’s soil,” Spade said.

Robert Timblin, owner of Faries Funeral Directors, noted that while traditional burials still dominate the industry, the green funeral movement has grown over the past decade. There has been an increase in green funerals, though he estimates the green services he sees is still less than 5%.

The NFDA estimates that the average cost of a traditional funeral is $7,848. In comparison, Recompose offers a slightly lower option for composting a deceased body at a price of $7,000. This fee includes the medical examiner tax and the filing of the death certificate. However, it’s important to note that this cost does not cover the transportation of the body to Washington, the only state with an established facility for this service.