The parliament of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein has included in the law a new burial method called Reerdigung (return to the ground), the DPA news agency reported.
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“Along with the traditional burial in a coffin and cremation with burial in an urn, in the future there will be an “accelerated decomposition” in a special container followed by the burial of human remains,” Justice Minister Kerstin von der Decken said at the plenary session.
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Thus, Schleswig-Holstein became the first German land to legislate a new form of burial.
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With this method of burial, the body of the deceased is placed in a “cocoon” – a closed container filled with hay, straw and plant materials. The container is closed, the microorganisms contained in the body and the plant mixture raise the temperature inside the container, so that the organic matter turns into humus within 30-50 days. Bones and teeth do not decompose, they are subsequently crushed and added to the resulting humus, which is then wrapped in natural cloth and placed in a grave.
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The new type of burial was tested for about two years under the scientific supervision of the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Leipzig. According to the Minister of Justice, 76 burials were carried out in this way. Reports and research results have confirmed the safety of this method.
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Protestant and Catholic churches in Germany consider the new burial method to be a “dignified and responsible form of farewell.”
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In the USA, this method is allowed in a number of states and is called natural organic reduction (NOR) or composting of the human body.
