Human composting is gaining traction, which has led to its legalization in six U.S. states and counting. People unfamiliar with the concept might be confused or even disturbed by the idea, but it’s actually a very environmentally friendly way to deal with dead bodies.

One company that utilizes human composting is Recompose. Their website states that traditional burial rituals, such as cremation, use fossil fuels and emit carbon dioxide that harms the environment.

Human composting offers an alternative. Each body that completes the human composting process not only creates one cubic yard of clean, fresh soil, it also saves one metric ton of carbon dioxide. Recompose explains that the transformation begins when the body is placed in a vessel, surrounded by wood chips, alfalfa, and straw. The body is then sealed off and left for five to seven weeks, while microbes help decompose the body. At the end of the process, clean soil is produced! This soil can be put in natural areas such as parks or forests and becomes a part of the earth.

However, some people aren’t completely sold on the idea. Catholic Answers argues that human composting is callous and anti-Christian. An important point to remember is that not everyone holds the same ideals. While some may view being turned into soil when you die as disgusting, other people may view it as just another way to connect with the earth, even after death. It’s important to have an open mind and accept peoples’ wishes for however they want their body to be dealt with after death.

Overall, human composting is no doubt a fascinating way to help the environment, bit by bit. This increasingly accepted method of burial is sure to gain greater traction in the future.