What Is Human Composting (Natural Organic Reduction), and Where Is It Legal?

Human composting is one of the newest legal ways to care for a body after death. The legal name is natural organic reduction (NOR), defined in Washington State, the first to authorize it, as “the contained, accelerated conversion of human remains to soil.” This guide explains how it works, what the evidence does and doesn’t show, and where it is legal. We have separated legal from available, because they are not the same thing, and we’ve noted where our sources have a stake in the answer.

State law in this area changes quickly. This guide is dated October 7, 2026.

How does it work?

According to news reports on the first facilities, a body is placed in a reusable vessel with plant material such as wood chips, alfalfa, and straw. The vessel is closed, and air flow, moisture, and temperature are monitored so that microbes can do their work. A Seattle Times report on the first licensed facility described sensors taking temperature readings every 10 minutes, and said state rules require the soil to maintain 131°F (55°C) for 72 hours to destroy pathogens.

Timing and amounts reported in sources:

• About 30 days for the initial process at Recompose, after which workers remove metals and plastics; another report says the vessel is sealed and controlled for at least five weeks
• Roughly a cubic yard of soil per person in commercial use; a pilot study measured 1.5 to 2 cubic yards of material including bones, and its lead scientist said commercial processes would process bones more thoroughly

The family receives some or all of the soil, or the provider places it on conservation land. See what happens to the soil after human composting.

What does the research show?

The key study is a pilot conducted in 2018 by soil scientist Lynne Carpenter-Boggs at Washington State University, which Recompose sponsored. Six donors participated. Its findings, as reported, were that the process met standard pathogen-reduction requirements, that the material met federal safety standards for contaminants such as heavy metals, and that the final material was unrecognizable as human remains.

Three cautions apply:

• It’s small. Six donors is a pilot, not a large trial, and we did not find a large independent replication in what we reviewed
• There are financial ties. The study was sponsored by Recompose, and Carpenter-Boggs has served as the company’s adviser and consultant
• Some people are excluded. State rules reportedly bar the process for people with certain diseases, including tuberculosis and prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

None of this means the process is unsafe. It means that most public claims come from people with a stake, and families should treat strong statements in either direction as claims, not settled science.

Where is it legal?

The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) says natural organic reduction is legal in 14 states, as of September 2025:

State	Notes from our sources
Arizona	Listed by NFDA
California	Effective 2027; the law was signed in 2022
Colorado	Law signed in 2021; has restrictions on the soil
Delaware	Listed by NFDA
Georgia	Listed by NFDA
Maine	Listed by NFDA
Maryland	Law passed in 2024; regulations took roughly a year and a half; first facility reported open in May 2026
Minnesota	Listed by NFDA
Nevada	Listed by NFDA
New Jersey	Listed by NFDA
New York	Listed by NFDA
Oregon	Law passed in 2021
Vermont	Listed by NFDA
Washington	First state; signed in May 2019

Several 2026 secondary sources, including funeral-provider guides and news coverage, agree on the same 14 states through September 2026. One of those sources reports that Oklahoma’s governor vetoed a bill (HB 3660) in May 2026, which we mention as reported but did not confirm independently. Newer laws could have passed since this date, so check your state’s funeral board or the NFDA’s current chart. You can also check your state with our interactive tool.

Legal is not the same as available

A law means the state allows the process. It doesn’t mean a family can use it tomorrow:

• California’s law takes effect in 2027
• Maryland passed its law in 2024, but state officials spent about a year and a half developing detailed regulations, with provider authorization arriving in April 2026, and the first facility reported opening in May 2026
• As the Maryland example shows, legalization alone doesn’t create an immediate market

Examples of operators named in sources include Recompose (Seattle), Return Home (Washington), Earth Funeral (Washington and Elkridge, Maryland), and The Natural Funeral (Arvada, Colorado). That is not a complete list and not an endorsement. Ask your funeral home or the state licensing board which licensed facilities are operating now.

Is it legal in Texas?

Not currently. A Texas provider’s 2026 guide says natural organic reduction is not authorized in Texas, and we found no Texas statute authorizing it. Texas families who want it generally have to arrange for a body to be moved to a facility in a state where it is legal; see can a body be moved to another state for composting or water cremation.

What does it cost?

Prices vary widely and we have no single sourced figure. A 2023 Maryland Catholic Conference alert, itself an opponent of the practice, cited $5,000 to $7,000, while a 2026 guide lists one Colorado provider’s packages starting at $9,200 for disposition only. A sustainability reporter quoted an industry operator saying alkaline hydrolysis and composting typically cost about as much as flame cremation. Ask for an itemized written price list, and ask what’s included: transport, the vessel, the soil, any ceremony, and any out-of-state transfer.

What else should I think about?

• Faith. The U.S. Catholic bishops’ doctrine committee concluded in 2023 that human composting doesn’t meet the Church’s requirements; see what different faiths say about composting and water cremation
• No remains to inter. Because the result is soil, there is no urn of cremated remains or grave in the usual sense; some families keep a portion of the soil or plant a tree
• Ceremony. Some providers offer a “laying in” ceremony where loved ones place the body in the vessel; others work with a funeral home so you can hold a service first
• Environmental claims. Carbon claims vary widely and come mostly from interested parties; see the plain comparison

Add this to your Final Day Plan: your first choice, a backup that is available where you live, whether you’re willing to have your body transported out of state, and who should arrange it.

This is general information, dated October 7, 2026, and not legal advice. State laws and facility availability change; confirm with your state funeral board or a licensed funeral director.