This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: What should happen to your body after you die? It's hardly a topic you'd bring up over dinner, but it's a decision that will eventually need to be made, either by you or by those you leave behind.
In Australia, the choice has traditionally been between burial and cremation. However, concerns about environmental impact, limited cemetery space and the desire for more sustainable alternatives have encouraged interest in other approaches. These include natural burial, water cremation and shrouded cremation—where no coffin is used.
Now, New South Wales has become the first Australian state to pass legislation allowing another option: "human composting," technically known as natural organic reduction, and legally termed "terramation." The process uses microorganisms to transform human remains into a compost-like material. The idea of turning a human body into compost might sound unusual, or even unsettling. But how does it actually work?
Is it a better alternative to existing methods? To answer these questions, we first need to understand decomposition and its essential role in nature. Throughout history, humans have developed rituals to protect, preserve and dress the dead.
Some want a quick return to the earth, while others seek to preserve the body. From ancient burial vessels and elaborate tombs to coffins, shrouds and embalming, these practices reflect cultural and religious beliefs. They also affect how bodies decompose.
Decomposition begins shortly after death. As cells break down, microorganisms already living inside the body, along with those from the surrounding environment, begin breaking down its tissues. Carrion insects, particularly flies and beetles, can feed on soft tissues remarkably quickly when temperature, moisture and access to the body are favorable.
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