Half-a-dozen years ago, Swedish biologist Susanne Wiigh-Masak went public with her new composting proposal. Promessa Organic AB, her Swedish company offers an environmentally acceptable way to dispose of Uncle John or Auntie Debbie when they finally throw in the trowel.
Freeze-dry their mortal remains in liquid nitrogen removes all water. They are then reduced to a fine organic dust. Buried in a similarly organic container, all biodegrades within six months when buried in a shallow grave.
Doubtlessly Auntie Debbie and Uncle John will be delighted to learn they will become to high-grade plant food. Wiigh-Masak, having tested her idea on cattle and pig carcasses, planted roses over the remains. The results were excellent, so she says.
What with running out of room for conventional cemetery burials and possible associated pollution of drinking water sources, while poisonous gases are said to be released during cremations, Wiigh-Masak and Promessa Organic AB thinks it might be onto a good thing.
“Our ecological burial reduces environmental impact on some of our most important resources; our water, air and soil,” says Wiigh-Masak. ”At the same time it provides us with deeper insights regarding the ecological cycle, and greater understanding and respect for life on earth.”
The process developed by Wiigh-Masak is called ‘promession.’ She has applied for patents in 35 countries, and hence the name of her company: ‘promessa’ which means promise. Promessa Organic AB is 42% owned by Wiigh-Masak, 53% by AGA Gas (part of Germany’s Linde Group), and 5% by the Church of Sweden.
According to Steven Palmer writing in online YB News, Promessa even plans to offer its services to NASA in case a Mars-bound astronaut happens to die en route to the red planet. They have devised a similar method using the extreme cold of outer space. The corpse is first frozen for an hour, tethered outside in a ‘body back’ bag.
Microwaved to remove the frozen moisture, it is then reduced to powder by being vibrated for 15 minutes. It can then be “stored with dignity” awaiting return to Earth.
All this would seem to be a more environmental friendly way for Uncle John and Auntie Debbie to end up than that offered by an Edmonton, Alberta-based company.
Honor Industries suggests incorporating about a tablespoon of the cremated deceased’s ashes into a special pencil. This pencil is then used by an artist to produce a portrait of the dearly departed. Costs commence at $5,000 but you do get a custom frame thrown in.
Perhaps, as Promessa claims, it is possible to mulch the organic remains in order for it to become healthy soil thus becoming part of the process of decomposition, as nature prefers it. Or, as an irreverent gardener has been heard to warble to the distress of his spouse: “When I die don’t bury me deep/Just throw my body on the compost heap.”
