In December 2001 a testing area was prepared, for the breakdown of organic material, adjacent to St. Sigfrid's Cemetery in Borås, Sweden.
Ten months later, most of the contents were decomposed and transformed into mulch.
"Most of the contents had been turned into natural mulch, perhaps a little more than 10 kg of the total 50 kg remained after ten months. This has to be regarded as a good result in consideration of the dry spring and summer of 2002 and the type of soil involved," says Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak.
The trial was carried out on a slope of sandy soil that was landscaped 6-7 years ago. The bottom of a 40 cm deep pit, measuring 1 x 1 m, was covered with riddled topsoil over which a paper-board box containing a mix of freeze-dried beef and pork, lime-rich algae fertilizer, bone and blood meal was placed. A rhododendron was planted over this and, as protection against wildlife intrusion, a fence was set up around the testing area.
"The dry soil was rather lifeless so it took a while before microbe colonies were established. This together with the dry spring and summer did not constitute ideal conditions. Normally, autumn is the best time of the year as the soil is never dry and composting is at its best," explains Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak.
"We couldn't smell anything when we started digging and there were insects in the soil, some worms and remains of the blood meal and paper-board casket, but no traces of the freeze-dried meat. Most of it apparently decomposed as we had expected."
Similar trials were carried out at the Östra Kyrkogården cemetery in Jönköping, Sweden. In late February 2002 two testing areas were made ready, one of turf and one of gravel, which were prepared in a manner corresponding to the one in Borås. As soon as the analyse of these areas are ready we will inform about the results in coming Newsletter. There will be further trials in different types of soil at the same time, to obtain comparative analyses. Different plants will also be planted since they can influence decomposition, partly though the size of their root systems which affect soil aeration and partly through their various degrees of nutrient assimilation.
