Rep ese tative
Image
(AI-ge e ated)
Ma yla d
is
givi g
eside ts
a
ew
optio
fo
what
happe s
to
thei
bodies
afte
death.
Acco di g
to
WYPR,
a
public
adio
statio
se vi g
Ma yla d,
the
state
is
ow
home
to
what
is
desc ibed
as
the
atio ‘s
la gest
huma
composti g
facility:
a
37,000-squa e-foot
facility
i
Elk idge
ope ated
by
Ea th
Fu e al.
The
facility
uses
a
p ocess
fo mally
k ow
as
atu al
o ga ic
eductio ,
offe i g
a
alte ative
to
co ve tio al
bu ial
a d
c ematio .Huma
composti g
may
sou d
u usual,
but
the
basic
idea
is
ooted
i
the
atu al
decompositio
of
o ga ic
mate ial.
I stead
of
placi g
a
body
u de g ou d
o
exposi g
it
to
the
high
tempe atu es
of
c ematio ,
atu al
o ga ic
eductio
uses
a
co t olled
e vi o me t
to
accele ate
the
body’s
atu al
b eakdow
a d
eve tually
p oduce
soil-like
mate ial.
How
huma
composti g
wo ks
The
p ocess
takes
place
i side
specially
desig ed
vessels,
whe e
bacte ia,
fu gi
a d
o ga ic
mate ials
such
as
mulch
help
b eak
dow
the
emai s
ove
oughly
a
mo th.
At
the
e d
of
the
p ocess,
about
300
pou ds
of
soil
emai .
The
bo es
a e
pulve ised
a d
added
to
the
soil,
which
ca
the
be
etu ed
to
the
family
o
placed
i
la d-co se vatio
p ojects.
A
ew
optio
fo
Ma yla d
families
Ma yla d
is
amo g
the
states
that
have
legalised
atu al
o ga ic
eductio ,
allowi g
the
se vice
to
become
available
to
eside ts.
Ea th
Fu e al
ece tly
ope ed
its
Elk idge
facility,
c eati g
a
ew
huma -composti g
optio
fo
people
o
the
East
Coast.Acco di g
to
WYPR,
the
facility
is
ea ly
37,000
squa e
feet
a d
is
desc ibed
as
the
atio ‘s
la gest
huma -composti g
facility.
The
facility
was
desig ed
to
make
the
se vice
mo e
accessible
to
people
o
the
East
Coast,
who
p eviously
may
have
had
to
t a spo t
emai s
lo g
dista ces
to
each
a
huma
composti g
facility.
This
optio
is
also
eme gi g
as
pa t
of
a
wide
discussio
about
the
e vi o me tal
impact
of
t aditio al
fu e al
p actices.
T aditio al
bu ial
equi es
la d
a d
may
i volve
embalmi g
fluids
a d
caskets.
C ematio
elimi ates
the
eed
fo
a
bu ial
plot
but
elies
o
combustio
a d
p oduces
emissio s.Natu al
o ga ic
eductio
takes
a
diffe e t
app oach
by
allowi g
the
body
to
etu
to
the
atu al
mate ial
cycle.
The
esulti g
soil
ca
be
etu ed
to
families
o
placed
i
la d-co se vatio
p ojects,
subject
to
Ma yla d’s
egulatio s.
The
debate
a ou d
a
diffe e t
ki d
of
fa ewell
The
a ival
of
huma
composti g
i
Ma yla d
also
eflects
cha gi g
attitudes
towa d
death
a d
e d-of-life
pla i g.
Fo
some
people,
the
att actio
is
e vi o me tal:
they
wa t
thei
fi al
dispositio
to
use
fewe
esou ces
a d
avoid
a
pe ma e t
bu ial
space.
Fo
othe s,
the
idea
of
becomi g
pa t
of
the
atu al
la dscape
p ovides
a
mea i gful
alte ative
to
co ve tio al
fu e al
t aditio s.The
p actice
emai s
elatively
ew
i
the
U ited
States.
Washi gto
became
the
fi st
state
to
legalise
atu al
o ga ic
eductio
i
2019,
a d
Ma yla d
is
amo g
a
g owi g
umbe
of
states
that
have
si ce
app oved
it.
Availability,
egulatio s
a d
the
ules
gove i g
the
use
o
scatte i g
of
the
esulti g
soil
va y
by
state.
Fo
Ma yla d,
howeve ,
the
ope i g
of
the
Elk idge
facility
expa ds
the
choices
available
fo
e d-of-life
a a geme ts.
What
was
o ce
a
optio
accessible
o ly
i
a
limited
umbe
of
places
is
ow
available
i
the
state,
givi g
eside ts
a d
people
i
the
wide
egio
a othe
choice.Rathe
tha
viewi g
death
o ly
th ough
the
t aditio al
choices
of
bu ial
o
c ematio ,
atu al
o ga ic
eductio
offe s
a othe
possibility:
allowi g
the
body
to
decompose
i
a
ca efully
co t olled
setti g
a d
ultimately
be
t a sfo med
i to
soil-like
mate ial.
Fo
families
i te ested
i
a
lowe -impact
app oach,
Ma yla d’s
ew
facility
ep ese ts
a
disti ctly
diffe e t
way
of
sayi g
goodbye.
