A growing number of Americans are choosing to return to earth after death—literally. Green burials, and specifically human composting, is an environmentally conscious, life-sustaining option that’s now legal in 14 states. But how does a human composting vessel work? And what exactly happens to Grandpa’s hip replacement once he’s been “recycled?” PopSci Editor ⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠ dig deep to explain it all.

Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/how-human-composting-works/

If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices