Sharjah24 – Reuters: Body composting could become a ‘green’ alternative to burial or cremation after Colorado became the second state after Washington to allow the process last week, according to The Associated Press.

One beneficiary of the new law, the Natural Funeral company, uses boxes lined with waterproof roofing material and packed with wood chips and straw, but relies mostly on billions of microbial organisms already inside the body to initiate decomposition.

The box has to reach 131 degrees Fahrenheit or 55 Celsius for 72 hours to kill any bacteria and pathogens. Then, after three months the ‘soil’ is filtered for medical devices like prosthetics, pacemakers or joint replacements, teeth are taken out to avoid contamination from mercury in fillings, and remaining large bones are pulverized before being returned to the box.

Finally, after six months, the fully decomposed remains can be spread in yards by family members. Currently Colorado doesn’t allow it to be used commercially for growing food for human consumption.

This method has two advantages over conventional methods: First, it takes up less space, and second, it doesn’t burn fossil fuels that can contribute to climate change,or release mercury-based fumes into the atmosphere.