UK Government Moves to Legalise Human Composting

LONDON – The UK government has signalled a major step towards legalising human composting as an alternative funeral practice.

On Tuesday, Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones said the government “welcomes” proposals to regulate new end-of-life methods including human composting . The move marks the first official push to recognise “natural organic reduction” – also known as terramation – which turns human remains into soil. If adopted, Britain could become one of the first countries in Europe to offer the eco-friendly practice, following its use in countries like the United States and Canada .

The Law Commission this week launched a public consultation outlining how these greener alternatives might be introduced within the existing legal framework . The commission’s paper recommends creating rules for emerging methods beyond traditional burials and flame cremations. 

Two options highlighted are alkaline hydrolysis (or “water cremation”) and human composting. In water cremation, a body is dissolved using water, alkaline solution, heat and pressure – an accelerated process that can take as little as four hours . Human composting (terramation) involves placing the deceased in a sealed vessel with organic materials like straw and wood chips, allowing natural microbes to convert the body into compost over about two to three months .

The resulting nutrient-rich soil can be returned to the family, literally “closing the circle” of life. Both methods have been promoted as greener, lower-emission alternatives to conventional funerals. A 2019 UK study even piloted a handful of water cremations under research conditions , and the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu chose resomation for his own funeral in South Africa .

Officials stress that any change would uphold safety and dignity. 

“Our proposals for new legislation would enable the future regulation of new funerary methods… [giving] people more choice in future about what happens to our bodies after we die,” said Professor Alison Young of the Law Commission, emphasizing that it must be done “sensitively, with appropriate safeguards” and respect for human dignity . 

The Ministry of Justice echoed support. “The Government welcomes the Law Commission’s work and encourages the public to engage with this consultation. We look forward to… a modern and coherent regulatory framework for emerging funerary practices in due course,” Davies-Jones said in an official statement .

Industry leaders and experts have also voiced support. Co-op Funeralcare – the UK’s largest funeral provider – attempted to pilot water cremation in 2023 but was thwarted by outdated regulations . The company welcomed the current review, saying it will help “provide consumers with greater choice and deliver environmental benefits” . Environmental groups note that cremations can emit around 245kg of carbon (equivalent to tens of thousands of smartphone charges) and burials consume land and materials . By contrast, human composting requires no new land or coffins and can turn a body into a cubic yard of life-giving soil. “We encourage exploration into alternative methods that … deliver environmental benefits,” the Co-op spokesperson added .

Advocates for terramation have hailed the government’s openness as a hard-won victory. Terramation UK, a campaign promoting human composting, along with the Alkaline Earth Society, gathered over 100,000 signatures in 2022 on a petition urging lawmakers to legalise the practice . 

That public pressure helped prompt officials to consider reform.

Campaigners argue terramation is both sustainable and personal: it avoids the pollution and resource use of embalming, coffins and cremation fuel, and instead returns the body “to the earth in a natural way” . According to one survey, nearly 44% of Britons would consider choosing to be composted after death – a sign of growing public interest in greener funeral choices.

Comparative practices overseas have paved the way. Human composting (sometimes called natural organic reduction) first became legal in Washington state in 2019, and as of May 2025 it is allowed in 13 U.S. states including Colorado, New York and Georgia . Canada and Australia are also exploring these alternatives . In Europe, however, such methods remain rare. Ireland has begun offering water cremation, but no country on the continent yet officially permits terramation.

The UK’s initiative could therefore set a precedent, bringing funeral law into line with modern environmental values.

Next steps: The Law Commission’s consultation for England and Wales runs until 4 September 2025, after which it will draft final recommendations and a proposed bill by spring 2026 . Any legalisation would need Parliament’s approval, but supporters are optimistic. With government buy-in and broadening public support, Britain may soon join the places where “from death comes life” – allowing loved ones to literally become compost and nourish new growth as a final gift to the planet.