The funeral industry is not exempt from start-ups and innovative ideas that go nowhere. I’m sure you could think of one yourself – one of them might even have been yours – but I won’t call out any here.
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That’s why it’s not wholly surprising that the most common question I get from the media, regulators, and curious practitioners is “Is human composting real?” To which I say, “Yes.”
There is a unique energy around legalizing natural organic reduction, in that most legislation has been consumer-driven, with support from practitioners. As one of the most progressive organizations in this space, CANA is the first death care association to answer these questions and provide insight from a funeral profession perspective. Informed by more than 100 years of experience in emerging technologies, we were eager to host some of the earliest NOR practitioners at our events and offered opportunities for question-and-answer sessions to explore this groundbreaking idea. Now we can compile what we know – and what we have yet to figure out – here, for you.

Natural Organic Reduction, also known as, NOR and Natural Reduction are the terms used in legislation and regulations related to this process, so that’s how CANA refers to it. More commonly used terms by the media or general public are Human Composting, Soil Transformation, or Body Composting, which are descriptive and useful for understanding the process more broadly. Some practitioners have coined proprietary terms like Terramation and Recomposition to describe their specific business offerings.

NOR was first legalized in 2019 in Washington. Colorado and Oregon followed in 2021 and Vermont and California in 2022, with several other states considering the practice in the coming years. To legislators, it is a thing.

But what kind of thing? Here’s where it can get interesting.

Compost is organic material that has decomposed to a nutrient-rich soil. At home, compost is food scraps and yard waste. For farms, it might be the livestock or the crops after harvest. Soil is, in fact, a mixture of decomposed organic matter with other naturally occurring elements like gases, liquids, living organisms, etc.

Once the waste decomposes, it can’t be separated from the other soil around it to say “that’s the orange peel, that’s the eggshell, and that’s the dandelion” — it’s all one piece of earth.

Human composting is the same but different. First, you can’t add a human body to your compost barrel: it’s illegal and it’s not what most people have in mind when they think of a proper send-off. Second, humans are large animals and require a sizeable quantity of other organic material to mix with during decomposition. Plus, anyone who composts knows that you need to keep air circulating and bacteria alive so that the matter decays rather than molds or rots. For human composting, this is where the professionals come in.

The interest in composting for human disposition is not new. Mary Roach’s Stiff, first published in 2003, shares the story of Tim Evans, then a graduate student at the University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility, who working to find a way to compost human remains. Evans had to aerate the compost pile and acknowledged that “It was hard being out there” to properly tend to the composting remains. The real need was to make composting doable within a reasonable timeframe, in compliance with regulations regarding body disposition, and in an acceptable manner for families.

SAME BUT DIFFERENT

In all states, the law allows for cremation and burial. As we’ve discussed before, some states have expanded their cremation law to include alkaline hydrolysis (aka water cremation, Aquamation, Resomation, etc.) Burial is easiest to understand: intact body placed in the ground (or crypt, mausoleum, etc.). Cremation and alkaline hydrolysis take the intact body, put it through a process using a combination of heat and/or chemicals so that just the bone matter of the body remains. But NOR takes an intact body and goes through a process that results in soil. There are no ashes to place or keep or scatter, no DNA to identify your loved one from other soil, generally no way of preventing comingling of remains with others’ (often prohibited in all cremation laws), and maybe not even a place to visit (depending on where the soil ends up).

When Katrina Spade and Recompose were exploring how to get Recomposition legalized in Washington State, the process was not legal anywhere in the world. With input from law professor Tanya Marsh, who focuses on funeral law, the company decided that the most straightforward way of bringing NOR to the public would be to create a new statute for human reduction. That’s why some states are creating a new disposition category of “reduction of human remains” with subcategories for cremation, AH and NOR. The common factor in each is that they accelerate the reduction of human remains in a facility, using specially designed equipment.
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It is CANA’s position that natural organic reduction is a unique form of disposition, not a type of cremation, and should be regulated separately. This means there are three ways of reducing a human body more quickly than burial: cremation, alkaline hydrolysis, and reduction. Each offers a unique process that requires specific equipment and training, and provides choice for families to do what feels right to them.

The differences we’ve described, as seen in the chart above, are the reason that these three reduction methods must be regulated separately. While the core of a death care professional’s job doesn’t change with the process — they take custody of the deceased, care for their loved ones, carry out the family’s wishes, and ensure that the remains get where they need to go with dignity and care — the processes themselves are very different.

The funeral profession’s first concern is always the dignified treatment of the deceased, and in the case of new processes that requires the training and knowledge to do it right. For regulators, that means setting the standard to measure the safety and ability to perform the process. This includes considerations for location and traffic, the environment and emissions, and employee health and safety. Both funeral professionals and regulators are dedicated to providing options to the public that meet all expectations for safety and excellence.

An internet search will highlight a few practitioners in the Pacific Northwest and the American Southwest who appear in news articles discussing this new option for consumers. Because human reduction is only beginning to be legalized, there are currently few options for the public to choose NOR. Funeral homes that currently offer NOR have carefully created their own vessels and developed their own technology, processes and proprietary mixes of organic material to reduce a human body to soil. That means that the process is pretty much limited to those who are willing to undertake the same sort of research and development process themselves. The only other option is for existing practitioners who offer NOR to partner with other funeral service providers to serve their families – though some of these providers are already operating at capacity.

Current cremation and alkaline hydrolysis regulations require equipment manufactured specifically for the process (hence, purpose-built). They require this to standardize the process and ensure the health and safety of the operators and public seeking these options. The lack of manufacturers of body composting vessels is a barrier to entry for many who would add it as an option for their communities – at least for the moment.

Without the uniform equipment, each practitioner’s process is proprietary, but there are a few things about the science in current methods that are universal. First, the only things that go in the vessel are organic matter. That means the body, either bare or shrouded only in organic natural fibers, the plant matter and bacteria, and little else. Brie Smith of Return Home advises families that, “If it can go through your gut, it can go through our vessel,” meaning that families can place meaningful keepsakes in, too, so long as they can be composted. Unwrapped Twinkies? Yes! That penny you swallowed on a dare? No—or rather: it’s going to come out the other side.

The reduction of the body takes anywhere from 7 weeks to 12 months, depending on the practitioner and their process. Loved ones are encouraged to be present when the body is placed, or “laid in," and to visit during the reduction. During the transformation, the vessel will run hot, spiking more than 130°F as microbes get to work. This high temperature also kills pathogens, bacteria and viruses that might be present in the body (though some medical conditions prevent NOR and some viruses and prions are not killed by NOR). Each provider also has a proprietary method for ensuring that air and matter circulates so the compost process generates soil.

When the process is complete, families can receive approximately 27 cubic feet of soil from the reduction of their loved one – enough to fill the bed of a pickup truck. As Earth Funeral Group of Washington says, “The nutrient-rich soil created during the process is used for land restoration and improving soil health. Healthy soil is paramount to a healthy ecosystem as it filters water, provides nutrients to plants and animals, sequesters carbon, reduces landslides and flooding, and helps regulate global temperatures.”

For a farmer or gardener, this volume of soil can be wonderful. Others can choose to take a portion of the soil to use on their own property or to keep at home in an urn or jewelry or some other keepsake, just as they do with cremated remains (though the soil needs to be sufficiently dry first). Remaining soil is then spread by the practitioner in nature. The Natural Funeral in Colorado offers a “laying out” ceremony when the resulting soil is spread on personal or public lands.

Cremation has gained popularity over the past 50 years largely because it offered an alternative to burial. It offered new options and captured the imagination of people seeking a new ways of personalizing their funeral. As in life, people want to express their values in death. Providing diverse options are good for families to personalize their experience. NOR practitioners report that their early adopters are “a diverse mix of people from all over” – that’s why so many states are moving quickly to make the option legal.

While there is opposition to the practice from outside and inside funeral service, there is an energy for NOR that we don’t see very often in funeral disposition legalization. The general public is excited for the option, legislators are energized to bring innovative ideas to the fore, and practitioners are curious if the participation in CANA’s recent events is anything to go by. Some funeral homes are poised to bring NOR to their community as soon as they can.
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Any time I’m asked about a new form of disposition, the inevitable next question is how fast it will grow. Will NOR replace cremation? Or will it speed up the decline of burials? Would early adopters have chosen burial or cremation if NOR was not an option? As I often say, my crystal ball is broken. Only time will tell. CANA’s own statistics show that, like widespread adoption of any new technology, a critical mass must make that choice before it takes off. CANA’s Annual Statistics Report will be tracking these data as the law changes to allow this form of disposition, so look for more content on the topic.

For every death in the US, research shows that an average of nine close family members grieve. As funeral professionals, you are called to serve these people, plus the friends, coworkers, neighbors, and many others that face an uncertain future without their loved one. Your job is all the more important—and more challenging—when those people are children.

The 2022 Children Bereavement Estimation Model (CBEM) estimates that over 5.9% children will lose a parent or sibling before the age of 18 in the US. That is one in 13 children, a number that has only increased since COVID. In the US, the Hidden Pain Initiative estimates that over 203,649 children under 18 lost a caregiver to COVID-19.
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November is Children and Teens’ Grief Awareness Month, so we thought we would take a moment to reflect on what makes childhood grief unique and share some valuable resources to support your work with these most vulnerable and important members of your community.

Former National Football League quarterback Brian Griese and his wife, Dr. Brook Griese, a clinical psychologist specializing in childhood trauma and loss, founded Judi’s House in memory of his mother, who died from breast cancer when he was just 12 years old. While the organization’s events are primarily directed to children and families in need in Denver, the Judi’s House/JAG Institute Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model (CBEM), developed with the New York Life Foundation, provides valuable insight on the impact grief has on youth, families, and communities across the country.
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Knowledge is power, and the CBEM provides both national and state-level information on children’s grief. If you want to take action on issues your community faces, the CBEM provides messaging, downloadable graphics, and an action plan to help you serve as a resource regarding the impact on children’s grief in your community..

The Dougy Center started with 13-year-old Dougy, who had an inoperable brain tumor and needed to talk honestly about death and dying. The Center’s original peer support opportunities in Portland, Oregon, grew to become a national resource where grieving children, teens, young adults, and families can share their experiences before and after a death.
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Through their Resources for Caring Community Professionals, the Dougy Center offers tip sheets to help children facing a variety of needs, activities to engage kids and teens, and a bookstore filled with resources on many topics, including What About the Kids? Understanding Their Needs in Funeral Planning & Services. They also have selfcare resources for helping professionals, a podcast to talk about Grief Out Loud, and Grief Education & Training on how to better support children, teens, and young adults who are grieving.

Eluna was founded in 2000 by former Major League Baseball pitcher Jamie Moyer and child advocate Karen Phelps Moyer in Seattle, Washington. Today, their network has expanded to every Major League Baseball city as well as additional locations across the US and Canada. They’re best known for Camp Erin, a free weekend camp for grieving children and teens that combines traditional, fun camp activities with grief education and emotional support.
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They also have hundreds of resources on children’s grief, including many activity ideas to help grieve and memorialize loved ones. Their Community Conversations touch on the unique experiences of grief in Black and Latino communities, with resources that speak directly to them. Eluna also offers care packages for children to provide outlets and ways to connect when facing grief.

The Highmark Caring Foundation serves many counties in central and western Pennsylvania. Their website offers insights on how children grieve, asking “What is lost? What is left? What is possible?” The Foundation’s Illuminating HOPE is a virtual gathering of butterflies with meaningful messages so children know that they are supported in their grief.
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Highmark also recognizes November 17, 2022 as Children's Grief Awareness Day, offering a full day of virtual activities to support children and raise awareness of their experiences. The organization provides resources to participate during the day with graphics, messages, and many activities to unite your community in support of grieving children. Remember to wear blue on November 17!

The National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG) was founded by committed grief professionals who saw a need to support children’s unique experience. Today, they are a professional member organization of over 1,700 members addressing issues related to childhood bereavement. Every year, NACG offers national and regional conferences to focus on issues that matter. Their virtual Fall Conference, sponsored by Dignity Memorial, is this Friday, November 4, 2022, and will focus on supporting children and families following a stigmatized death.
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For members and non-members alike, NACG offers a resource library filled with articles on providing support, activity ebooks to engage children in their experience and feelings, and more. In honor of Children’s Grief Awareness Month in November, the group hosts a series of events to raise awareness and support for grieving children. This November 2022, their focus is listening, and you can join their free grief talks, share their social campaign, and use their action center get your community involved.

Research shows that grieving children are at much greater risk than others for depression, suicide, poverty, and substance abuse. Supporting them in their grief is a challenging but rewarding part of your work as a funeral professional. This resource list is here to help!

However, this list cannot possibly encompass the valuable work that your community provides to its youth. Most of these national and international organizations provide ways of identifying local resources from individual grief counselors to peer support groups and organizations suited to your community’s needs.

As a funeral professional, you never know who will walk in your door next. Having the resources on hand to provide support and the skills to support the grieving go a long way toward demonstrating your commitment to your families and your community. As Tom Anderson remarked in Funeral Director Daily, simply knowing there is a need isn’t enough. As a profession, we need to listen to their need and go above and beyond for these families and these children.

You can update your website and your brochure rack with resources from national and local children’s bereavement centers – like Healing Hearts Connection supporting community members in Minnesota and Wisconsin where Alicia Carr (of CANA Member Kelco Funeral Supply) is a Board Member. You can educate yourself so that when you see a family, you can be ready to support their grief and help them find other support systems. And, if you see a need in your community, you can take action to raise awareness with your leaders and organizations, informed by what you’ve learned from these sources.
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The next time you host a community event, you can give extra thought to the grieving children, teens, and young adults with activities just for them. Next year, you can even hold your own event in November to raise awareness and support for Children and Teen’s Grief Awareness Month.