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Could our bodies help new life grow after we die?

Updated August 4, 2023 at 9:46 AM ET

Part 2 of the TED Radio Hour episode What Lies Beneath.

We compost plants and livestock, so why not humans? Katrina Spade says that if you want to help the planet one last time, consider composting your body.

About Katrina Spade

Katrina Spade is an inventor, designer, and death care advocate. She is the founder and CEO of Recompose, which has developed a new model of caring for death that focuses on transparency, participation, and nature. Through natural organic reduction, human remains are transformed into usable soil. Her work has been featured in The Atlantic, Wired, and The New York Times.

Spade has a Masters in Architecture from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a certificate in Sustainable Design and Building from Yestermorrow Design/Build School, and a Bachelors in Cultural Anthropology from Haverford College.

This segment of the TED Radio Hour was produced by James Delahoussaye and edited by Rachel Faulkner and Katie Simon. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Manoush Zomorodi
Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.
James Delahoussaye
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
Rachel Faulkner White
Rachel Faulkner is a producer and editor for TED Radio Hour.
Katie Simon
Katie Simon is the Supervising Editor for Embedded, which showcases premier enterprise documentary storytelling for NPR and the NPR Network.