TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is not introducing neo-environmentally-friendly burial methods anytime soon as it observes the upcoming Tomb Sweeping Festival, or Qingming Festival.

Taiwan is not ready for innovative burial approaches such as human composting, said Tang Ken-shen (唐根深), an official at the Interior Ministry’s Department of Civil Affairs. Customs aside, the criminal code will need to be amended concerning the handling of corpses for such practices to be legalized, Environmental Information Center quoted Tang as saying.

Human composting, or terramation, entails turning a body into soil by mixing it with substances like straw and wood chips until it is decomposed by thermophile microbes.

Natural burial is gaining popularity in Taiwan, which has seen a tenfold surge in this alternative to burying or cremating human remains over the past decade. A total of 18,949 such practices were recorded in 2021, accounting for 10% of the total. In 2011, there were only 1,765 cases, per the interior ministry.

Tree and flower burials are the most common forms of eco-friendly burial in Taiwan, accounting for over 90% in 2021, the latest available data. Other options include disposing of cremated human remains in the ocean and designated parks or greens.

Taipei boasts some of the most scenic tree burial facilities, teeming with a variety of plants, including one on Yangmingshan. According to the city’s Mortuary Service Office, family members of the deceased will bring flowers and even play musical instruments when they pay respects to the dead.

The vessel will be packed with wood chips and straw and will be able to compost a body in six months. (AP photo)

A container of compost produced from human remains is shown at Recompose, a company that composts human remains into soil. (AP photo)

A tree burial park in Taipei. (Taipei City Government photo)