Natural organic reduction is the process of transforming a human body into soil after death. Sometimes called “human composting,” it places the body in a vessel with plant materials and lets naturally occurring microbes do the work of breaking everything down over several weeks. The result is roughly a cubic yard of nutrient-rich soil that families can keep, donate, or use to nourish land. As of mid-2025, thirteen U.S. states have legalized the practice.
How the Process Works
The body is placed inside a large vessel, typically a reusable steel container, along with organic materials like wood chips, straw, and alfalfa. These plant-based materials serve as “bulking agents” that provide carbon, create airflow, and give microbes the fuel they need to begin decomposition. The ratio of carbon-rich plant material to the nitrogen-rich body matters: too little plant material and the process stalls or produces odors, too much and it takes longer than necessary.
Over the next four to six weeks, billions of naturally occurring bacteria and fungi break the body down at the molecular level. Facility operators manage airflow and moisture to keep the process moving efficiently. What remains at the end is a soil-like material. Any non-organic items, such as metal implants, screws, or dental work, are separated out during a final screening step, much like they are after cremation.
The Role of Heat and Microbes
The key to both decomposition and safety is heat. As microbes consume organic material, their metabolic activity generates temperatures between 50°C and 65°C (roughly 120°F to 150°F). This is called the thermophilic phase, and it’s where the real work happens. At these temperatures, heat-tolerant bacteria like species of Thermobifida, Bacillus, and Geobacillus thrive while most harmful organisms cannot survive.
New York State regulations, which are among the most detailed in the country, require that the remains reach 55°C (131°F) or higher for at least 72 consecutive hours. This sustained heat is what destroys dangerous bacteria and viruses. The World Health Organization recommends similar thresholds for composting systems generally: 55°C or above for 7 to 30 days, followed by a curing phase of two to four months where fungi and other slower-acting organisms finish the job. Commercial natural organic reduction facilities compress and optimize this timeline through careful environmental controls.
Before any soil leaves the facility, it must pass laboratory testing. The standards mirror those used for other composted materials: fecal coliform bacteria must fall below 1,000 per gram of dry material, or salmonella levels must be under 3 per 4 grams. A certified lab performs this analysis to confirm the soil is safe to handle and use.
What the Soil Can Be Used For
Each body produces enough soil to fill a small pickup truck bed. Families typically receive the soil in bags or bins and can use it however they choose. Some spread it in gardens, around trees, or on family land. Others donate it to conservation projects or forest restoration efforts. Facilities that offer natural organic reduction often partner with land trusts or parks for families who prefer this option.
The finished material looks and smells like ordinary garden soil. It’s rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, the same nutrients found in commercial compost. By the time it reaches the family, the transformation is complete: there are no recognizable human remains.
Who Cannot Choose This Option
Not every death qualifies. Facilities are required to reject remains when the cause of death was active tuberculosis, Ebola, or a prion disease such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Prion diseases are caused by misfolded proteins that can survive extreme heat, making them resistant to the composting process. Bodies containing radioactive implants, batteries, or power cells must have those items removed before the process can begin. State health departments can also flag other contagious diseases that make remains unsuitable.
Environmental Comparison to Burial and Cremation
One of the primary reasons people seek out natural organic reduction is its environmental profile. A single cremation releases about 190 kilograms of carbon dioxide, roughly the equivalent of driving 470 miles. Traditional burial carries its own footprint: embalming chemicals, hardwood or metal caskets, concrete vault liners, and the ongoing maintenance of cemetery grounds. When researchers have tallied all environmental impacts across 18 categories (not just carbon), burial actually scores worse than cremation overall.
Recompose, the first commercial natural organic reduction facility in the U.S., claims the process saves about one metric ton of CO2 per person compared to conventional options. That figure has drawn some scrutiny. Composting does release greenhouse gases of its own, including methane and nitrous oxide, and some analysts argue the net savings are smaller than advertised once those emissions are factored in. Still, the process uses no fossil fuels for combustion and produces a material that can sequester carbon in soil rather than releasing it into the atmosphere, which gives it a clear advantage over flame-based cremation.
Where It’s Legal
Washington became the first state to legalize natural organic reduction in 2019, largely through the advocacy of Katrina Spade, who founded Recompose. Since then, adoption has accelerated:
- 2021: Colorado, Oregon
- 2022: Vermont, California, New York
- 2023: Nevada
- 2024: Arizona, Maryland, Delaware, Minnesota, Maine
- 2025: Georgia
That brings the total to thirteen states as of May 2025. No international jurisdictions have formally legalized the practice yet, though interest is growing in Canada, the U.K., and parts of Europe. In states where it remains illegal, the main barriers are existing funeral and cemetery laws that were written decades ago with only burial and cremation in mind. Legislative efforts are active in several additional states.
Cost and Practical Considerations
Natural organic reduction typically costs between $5,000 and $7,000, placing it in the same range as many traditional funerals and above the cost of direct cremation (which can run $1,000 to $3,000). The price usually includes transport of the body, the full reduction process, and return of the finished soil. Families should expect a timeline of about two to three months from death to receiving the soil, accounting for both the active composting period and the curing phase.
Because the process takes weeks rather than hours, it requires a different kind of planning than cremation. Some families hold memorial services before or during the process. Others visit the facility to place the plant materials around their loved one, turning the beginning of the process into a ceremony of its own.