by Jesi Taylor Cruz

Soils are fertile ecosystems that contain living microorganisms, eroded ancient rock materials, and decayed organic matter. When soils on our planet are healthy, they help sustain all life on Earth from the tiniest organisms only visible through microscopes to humans and other animals who call countless different habitats home. Healthy soils help plants thrive, mitigate stormwater runoff, sequester carbon, improve farmer’s crop yields, cycle nutrients, and more. When soils are polluted and otherwise destroyed, these once dynamic ecosystems lose many of their beneficial properties and while we often think our impact on soil health is limited to actions we take in our daily lives, that’s not the case. Even in death we have the ability to either nourish or harm living soils. 

In Of Dirt and Decomposition: Proposing a Place for the Urban Dead, Katrina Spade, Founder and CEO of Recompose, examines the alarming data related to the funeral-industrial-complex: “The annual tally of buried materials in U.S. cemeteries is more than 30 million board-feet of hardwood and 90,000 tons of steel in coffins, 17,000 tons of steel and copper in vaults, 1.6 million tons of reinforced concrete in vaults, and more than 750,000 gallons of formaldehyde-laden embalming fluid.” Spade goes on to explain that the combination of air-tight caskets and about three gallons of formaldehyde result in “a soup of putrefied toxic liquid” that “[pollutes] the very soil to which [we] owe [our] lives.” Spade’s company, Recompose, is working to address these and other issues related to death care practices that harm the planet and perpetuate narratives about death that prevent people from understanding the full nature of life on Earth. Death care practices that could benefit from composting. 

At Recompose death care specialists participate in a process known as natural organic reduction, otherwise known as human composting. Phases one through five are detailed on their website as follows: 

PHASE 1

The Cycle Begins

“Natural organic reduction (NOR), also

known as human composting, is powered

by beneficial microbes that occur naturally

on our bodies and in the environment.

PHASE 2

The Laying In

“Our staff lay the body in a cradle surrounded

by wood chips, alfalfa, and straw. The

cradle is placed into a Recompose vessel

and covered with more plant material.”

PHASE 3

The Vessel

“The body and plant material remain in the

vessel for 30 days. Microbes break everything

down on the molecular level, resulting in

the formation of a nutrient‑dense soil.”

PHASE 4

The Soil

“Each body creates one cubic yard of

soil amendment, which is removed from

the vessel and allowed to cure. Once

completed, it can be used to enrich

conservation land, forests, or gardens.”

PHASE 5

Life After Death

“The soil created returns the nutrients

from our bodies to the natural

world. It restores forests, sequesters carbon, and nourishes new life.”

People who choose to have their body undergo this process have the option to donate their soil to Bells Mountain, a 700-acre nonprofit land trust in Washington. “The land’s caretakers use the soil donated by Recompose to support the continued revitalization of wetlands, riparian habitats, local plants, and vulnerable wildlife species,” and the process itself results in the removal of about .84 to 1.4 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. Compared to the 28 gallons of gas needed for a single cremation, and the negative environmental impact of traditional burials, NOR is the alternative death care practice gift that keeps on giving. 

NOR is currently only legal in two states but legislators in New York are working to make human composting an option. The proposed bill, A00382/S05535, “provides for the creation, operation, and duties of natural organic reduction facilities as cemetery corporations for the contained, accelerated conversion of human remains to soil.” Despite pushback from the New York State Catholic Conference, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin told the Niagara Gazette that NOR is “cleaner and greener” than traditional burial practices and that it’s “in line with many religious practices.” Catholic leaders urge that it is “essential the body of a deceased person be treated with reverence and respect.” Not only does NOR prevent poisons from polluting the bodies of deceased persons, it also allows the organic matter of which bodies are composed to truly return to the Earth and nourish new life. When it comes to “reverence and respect for human remains,” a key consideration for Catholic critics of the proposed bill, a death care practice that honors natural cycles, encourages healing of the planet, and allows bodies to become one with the Earth without spreading toxins could be an environmentally and spiritually friendly option. 

But the point of NOR isn’t just to add another “green” action to one’s to-do list. Too often, the burden of repairing structural and systemic issues is aimed at individuals, many of whom are chronically disenfranchised. Even the death care industry has a history of discrimination and disenfranchisement that calls the idea of death being the great equalizer into the question. In Greening Death, Suzanne Kelly explains that “before the 1930s, Chinese Americans were barred from becoming funeral directors, leaving their experiences of death, as well as their death customs, in the hands of white actors.” She goes on to add that “until 1968 it was legal for cemeteries to refuse to bury bodies on the basis of race.” 

Now, the $15 billion death care industry has the opportunity to center equity, public health, and planetary healing. From educating people about the complex history of the industry to increasing access to ecology-focused burial options, the harmful elements of the funeral-industrial complex can be abolished. One composted human body at a time. Additionally, access to other alternatives to traditional burial can be increased with the help of information campaigns and advocacy for policy and legislation in death care management that offer people more options.

It’s time for society to stop treating cemeteries like landfills. Humans are part of natural cycles of life and death that can help us heal the planet instead of continuing to cause harm. With NOR humans can actually become worm food when they die, as all organic matter ultimately does, instead of source material for groundwater pollution. NOR gives people the option to help heal living soils instead of destroy them. Since we don’t just live on Earth but with Earth, the option to give back in this way allows us to really leave no trace. Only healthy soil. 

Originally posted on swrm’s website and you can also watch this on YouTube!

NYC’s commercial recycling laws are hard to keep up with and key information is often difficult to find. Don’t stress! We’ll help you stay up to date and in compliance.

The most recent official notice regarding commercial recycling rules in NYC was released by the NYC Department of Sanitation on February 5, 2016. Link to the official notice here. The rules outlined within were put into effect on August 1, 2016 and, after a year-long “warning period”, will be enforceable by law starting August 1, 2017.

Recycling compliance 101: Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to recycling responsibly and in compliance with the law.

1. Contract with a licensed carter that fits your needs and handles your specific waste materials. If you are a tenant in a building, and your building management handles waste, the easiest way to see if they’re doing it right is to think about how you manage waste in your own space. Are you separating recyclables into clearly labeled bins and using one of three options: source-separated collection, co-collection, or single-stream collection (more detail below)?
   • Your business must post a sign somewhere visible from outside the building that names your carter(s) and the materials they collect, as well as which method they are using for collection.
   • If you prefer to self-transport your recyclables – this is rare – register here.
   • Property owners and building management must notify tenants of their waste management policies annually.
2. Set your customers and staff up for waste management success!
   • All receptacles should have clear labels and colors indicating a specific waste category
   • Recyclables must always be kept separate from garbage, both when they are being thrown into a bag at a waste bin, and when they are collected in a truck by your hauling company.
   • Posting clear signs for both staff and customers will help prevent contamination, which is a major problem in the recycling industry.

Wait, can I recycle this?

There are two different recycling streams in NYC:

1. Metal, Glass, Plastic, and Beverage Cartons: This stream includes…
   • Metal cans, aluminum foil, and other disposable foil containers (rinse your recyclables! They don’t need to be sparkling clean, but they shouldn’t make a mess in the recycling bin).
   • Glass jars & bottles – tops too! And while you’re at it, if you separate the top or lid from the container, it’ll have a better chance of being recycled properly.
   • Rigid plastics such as empty yogurt cups, empty plastic beverage bottles and tops, or empty food containers (rinsed out).
   • Mixed metal & plastic objects, such as plastic chairs with metal legs or filing cabinets (just check with your hauler and/or building management first, most buildings have “bulk” collection days when it’s best to bring this material to the curb)
   • Paper beverage cartons and juice boxes
2. Paper. This stream includes:
   • Receipts
   • Mail
   • Notepads
   • Folders
   • Newspapers and magazines
   • Cardboard, such as boxes from packages or paper towel rolls

And here’s what cannot be recycled:

• Non-rigid plastics such as plastic wrap*, empty chip bags and plastic shopping bags
• Foam (expanded polystyrene, or EPS) products such as foam coffee cups or foam takeout containers
• Soiled or coated paper, such as coffee filters (which can be composted!) or paper takeout containers (which are coated with wax to prevent leaking).
• Food scraps (but of course, they can be composted!)
• Large Furniture or mattresses

*If plastic wrap, (clear plastic film, like the Saran Wrap brand), is clean and dry, it CAN be recycled, but sometimes it must be collected separately from other recyclables. If your business produces lots of clean and dry wrap, we recommend that you contact your hauling company to discuss options for recycling it.

A couple extra things to note regarding…

• TEXTILES: If textiles make up more than 10% of your business’s waste, you are required by law to recycle all fabric scraps, clothing, belts, bags, and shoes. For more information on this visit refashionNYC. We are also big fans of FabScrap, an organization dedicated to helping recycle commercial fabric scraps.
• YARD OR PLANT WASTE: If yard or plant waste makes up more than 10% of your business’s waste, you are required to recycle it separately from other recyclables. This includes plant waste, grass clippings, garden debris, leaves, and branches.
• ORGANICS: Certain large, food-waste generating business are required to separate their organics for composting. Much more on this here.

There are the three acceptable recycling systems for most* businesses:

1. Source-Separated Recycling: As the name suggests, this system requires the business (source) to separate their three streams of waste (glass/metal/plastic recyclables, mixed paper, landfill garbage) for collection by three separate trucks.
2. Co-Collection Recycling: Some haulers may be permitted to collect more than one type of recycling in a single truck. The business (the source) would still put mixed paper in one bag, and glass/metal/plastic in another, but the carter could legally put these two different recycling streams into the same truck for collection and transit to a recycling facility. In this case, buildings must post a sign indicating that co-collection is being used and the name of the authorized carter.
3. Single-Stream Recycling (also referred to as “mixed recycling”): In this scenario the source (business) is only handling two waste streams – (recyclables & paper) and garbage – to be collected by two separate trucks. Glass/metal/plastic, and mixed paper go into the same bag, and are collected by a recycling truck.

*For businesses that produce +10% of their waste in textiles, yard waste, or organics, additional procedures are required.

In ALL cases, it is illegal for a hauling company to collect recyclable waste in the same truck as trash. If you see black trash bags in the same truck as clear or colored recycling bags, red flag! Something is amiss. (It’s true that trucks break down, or sometimes there’s a one-off collection that doesn’t go as planned, but if you see this consistently, you should give us a call.)

Why are there so many options? Does it really have to be this complicated? The main source of complication lies in the fact that recycling facilities and hauling companies are typically separate entities. Sometimes a recycling facility will have their own hauling operation, which results in better communication from source to plant and more accountability on the side of the haulers. Regardless, the City is moving towards a single-stream system, so in time, we’ll be seeing more “mixed recycling” and less “source separated recycling”, leaving the complicated stuff to the experts. Until then, the consumer still has to put in the leg work to ensure that their recycling is being properly processed. (Interested in seeing a dedicated post on Single-Stream Recycling, or anything else? Contact us!)

Consider this scenario: a business is set up with source-separated recycling, but they aren’t properly separating their recyclables into two different streams (mixed paper / plastic, metal, glass). Their mixed paper hauler picks up what looks to them like the mixed paper recycling bags and brings them to a recycling plant that processes mixed paper. That plant, which might not have the sorting technology to deal with glass, metal, and plastic, has to manually sort through these bags and might treat anything that’s not mixed paper as trash. In this scenario, more work has been created for the facility (or the hauler, depending on the relationship that exists between hauler and recycling facility), to sort the unacceptable items (an economic hardship), and many perfectly recyclable products might go to the landfill.

We have some good news, which is that new recycling facilities are putting specialized technology in place to separate lots of types of recyclables. We will be seeing more and more of these facilities in the future. For now, not all commercial hauling companies have relationships with these specialized facilities. The NYC Business Integrity Commission has a specific form for haulers to complete when they wish to collect Single Stream (mixed recycling) from commercial clients, which asks them to identify the destination (the specific recycling facility) for the recyclable materials. If you are unsure about your hauler’s Single Stream recycling process, the easiest thing to do is to ask if they have submitted this application to BIC.

Now get sorting!