Poster #15 - Burial Without Barriers: Expanding Equitable Access to Green Deathcare

• In Event: Saturday Poster Luncheon

Abstract

As human composting—also known as natural organic reduction (NOR)—gains legal and cultural traction in the U.S., questions of who has access to this environmentally sustainable deathcare option remain understudied. While recent policy efforts have focused on licensing and regulatory frameworks, early NOR adopters risk reproducing inequities found in traditional deathcare markets. This paper examines how current state-level policies address—or overlook—equity in access to human composting, particularly along lines of income, geography, religion, and cultural inclusion.

Building on previous comparative research of licensing frameworks in Washington, Colorado, and Sweden, this study investigates how access is structured through policy design, and whether existing NOR statutes include provisions for affordability, community outreach, religious accommodation, or publicly funded alternatives. Using a framework grounded in equity-oriented policy design and Bardach’s Eightfold Path, the paper identifies access barriers and outlines model policy components to foster equitable implementation.

Data sources include legal texts, licensing rules, cost structures of operational facilities, and state-level public comment records. The analysis also incorporates environmental justice principles to evaluate how NOR intersects with broader patterns of green inequity in urban and rural communities.

This research contributes to the APPAM 2025 theme—Forging Collaborations for Transformative and Resilient Policy Solutions—by proposing actionable design strategies that promote fairness in emerging environmental technologies. By centering equity in the early stages of NOR policy development, the paper highlights the importance of inclusive governance and cross-sectoral collaboration in building sustainable and socially just deathcare systems.

Author

• Michele Santana, University of Illinois, Chicago
  Presenting Author