From grief to green: advocating for a sustainable goodbye
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At 54, Tui Davidson is on a mission that many find difficult to discuss: transforming how we think about death.
As the founder of Canberra social enterprise Earthly Remains, Tui passionately advocates for human composting as an environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional burial and cremation.
“It’s not a scary or difficult topic,” Tui insists. “We need to keep the conversation going and change people’s approach to death from one of avoidance to informed and intentional choices.”
Tui’s journey into this important advocacy was shaped by personal experiences, including the tragic loss of her sister at a young age due to a preventable illness. This early exposure to grief has driven her to help others navigate their own experiences of loss.
“Many people don’t know what to say or how to help someone,” she reflects.
With a background in community service and a career spanning over 30 years, Tui now finds herself at a pivotal point: “At this stage, it is purely advocacy rather than business.”
“I’m promoting an environmentally sustainable option for body disposal as land is finite,
so burial is becoming increasingly expensive, and the perpetual maintenance costs have an environmental impact as does the slow leaching into waterways. Cremation emits toxins and fine particulate matter into the atmosphere and uses fossil fuels,” she says.
Her vision for Earthly Remains is clear.
“Death is a natural part of life, and there should be more support for a respectful and dignified way of returning to the earth, contributing to the circle and cycle of life,” she states.
Tui believes that offering human composting as a viable choice can ease the burden of funeral costs, which can lead to what she calls “funeral poverty.”
Tui’s advocacy is not just about the emotional aspects of grief; it also tackles pressing social issues.
“There is clear research showing the need for communal grief as part of coping with loss. If a funeral is too expensive, that comes at a cost to society—mental health issues, depression, and struggles in other areas of life,” she explains.
She envisions a future where human composting is integrated into a supportive framework, working alongside government initiatives.
“I would like to be working with the ACT Government to assist them to have the policy and regulatory framework in place to enable human composting..and within 3 years’ time to have opened the ACT Government facility,” she says.
Tui acknowledges that the path to change is not an easy one. “Social license doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a reminder that change takes courage, perseverance, and time. There is a lot I don’t know, but there’s also a lot of assistance out there,” she reflects.
The conversation around death is often clouded by discomfort, but Tui aims to change that narrative. “It’s a difficult topic for most people, but it’s important to consider,” she says. “We need to change the stigma and create an environment where people feel comfortable discussing their options.”
While the push for human composting is gaining momentum, Tui emphasizes that it should merely be one option among many. “Society is ready for it. It doesn’t have to be a choice for everyone, but it should exist as an option,” she asserts.
In order to get her idea off the ground, Tui connected with The Mill House Ventures, a Canberra-based organisation that works with passionate social enterprises.
She says completing the GRIST course with Millhouse “inspired me to continue pursuing something I passionately believe in despite how slow and difficult it is to get traction.”
The statistics surrounding funeral costs are staggering. In Australia, the cheapest option is often a direct cremation, which lacks the communal aspects of a traditional funeral and can still cost around $2,600.
“I toured a morgue a couple of years ago and was told that people are refusing to claim their family member because they can’t afford the funeral. This is a sad indictment on our society,” Tui explains.
As living costs continue to rise, Tui is determined to advocate for solutions that make death more affordable. “The cost of living keeps climbing, and many people can’t pay their bills or put food on the table,” she says. “We can and should do better.”
With a vision of making Earthly Remains a collaborative effort between government and community, Tui believes that the future of body disposal can align with the principles of a circular economy. “The ACT prides itself on its work in this area. Human composting fits perfectly within that framework,” she concludes.
As Tui continues her advocacy, she remains steadfast in her belief that change is possible.
“I’m inspired to keep pursuing something I passionately believe in,” she says, determined to create a more sustainable and compassionate approach to death for future generations.
Feature image: Supplied.
