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Natural Causes: Why Some Are Choosing An Eco-Friendly End Of Life (Rebroadcast)

Embalmer and funeral director Kristy Oliver (R) and funeral attendant Sam Deras load the casket of a person who died after contracting COVID-19 into a hearse at East County Mortuary in El Cajon, California.
Embalmer and funeral director Kristy Oliver (R) and funeral attendant Sam Deras load the casket of a person who died after contracting COVID-19 into a hearse at East County Mortuary in El Cajon, California.

In December, a funeral home in Washington became the first to legally . It’s part of a growing movement toward deathcare options that are kinder to the planet, from to .

Proponents of these kinds of options say that they use less energy and are than the traditional methods of cremation or embalming. Public testimony for a bill concerning human composting in Oregon was .

As a part of our coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, .

What are the eco-friendly end-of-life options available to the public now? And what do they mean for the funeral business in general?

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Kathryn Fink
Kathryn Fink is a producer with NPR's All Things Considered.