As Seen In KCRW: Dying Harms the Planet. So CA Legalized Human Composting

KCRW explores California's legalization of human composting and the environmental motivations driving families to choose soil transformation over traditional burial and cremation.

"He had heard something about your body being transformed into mushrooms, and his favorite food was mushrooms. And he just thought that might be a really cool idea — if he became a mushroom," laughs Sean Hanna, describing his late partner Stephen Staunton's interest in terramation.

In KCRW, reporter Caleigh Wells examines the burgeoning human composting industry through the personal story of Staunton, an avid gardener who died of brain cancer and whose soil now fertilizes trees in Washington's Olympic Peninsula.

The piece highlights Earth Funeral CEO Tom Harries' explanation of the four-step process that transforms bodies into 200-300 pounds of nutrient-rich soil, contrasting it with the environmental impact of traditional options. Wells details how 30% of Californians choose resource-intensive traditional burial while 68% opt for cremation, which produces pollution equivalent to driving hundreds of miles.

The article explains California's 2027 implementation timeline and Earth Funeral's response by opening a Las Vegas facility to serve Southwest customers, while showcasing how families like Staunton's use the soil meaningfully across the country—from Maine vegetable gardens to childhood camping spots.