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Committee Hears Bill To Allow Human Composting

DENVER (CBS4) - A bill in the Colorado State Legislature was heard by the House Energy and Environment Committee on Monday. It would allow human remains to be composted into soil.

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(credit: Recompose)

Right now, nearly 80% of Coloradans choose to be cremated after death. That releases an estimated 573 tons of carbon dioxide per person, officials say.

CBS4 Political Specialist Shaun Boyd spoke with a Washington-based company that is offering this service.

Natural reduction, they say, involves placing a body in a vessel with straw, alfalfa and woodchips -- the right mix of carbon and nitrogen.

If the bill is signed into law, Colorado could be the second state to legalize the alternative burial process.

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