What is Natural Organic Reduction?

Ecological death care has gained in popularity in recent years. In my previous post, I wrote about “green burial,” but there are other “green options” not involving burial of the deceased person that Seattle area widows might want to be aware of.

There are various terms used to describe what is essentially the same process: “Natural organic reduction” (NOR) is also sometimes referred to as “human composting,” “body composting,” or “soil transformation.” One local provider (Return Home) has trademarked the term, “terramation.”

In this post I will use “NOR” to discuss this green option.

Why would someone choose NOR?
NOR returns our bodies to the earth as fertile compost. Unlike traditional burial involving embalming, or cremation, NOR uses no chemicals or fossil fuels that are harmful to the planet. (It is similar to green burial in that respect.)

With NOR, an individual’s body is transported to the facility that will conduct the process. This facility must be a licensed funeral home in the state of Washington. There are three such funeral homes/NOR facilities serving the greater Seattle area. I toured one facility and I conducted a phone interview with another facility to gain a greater understanding of the process involved.

What is the process?
Once the deceased individual’s body is received, the funeral home staff will prepare it for undergoing the NOR process. The body will be placed inside a vessel (steel or polycarbonate, depending on the facility). The funeral home staff will place organic material around the body. (The organic material may differ in each NOR facility.) Each facility has a slightly different method for transforming the body into soil. The microbes that are present in the body are attracted to the nitrogen-rich organic material that has been placed around the body. Air flow (oxygen) in the vessel can be active or passive (again, facilities differ). After the vessel is closed, the body begins its transformation. The temperature will be checked periodically.  

The time it takes to complete the transformation varies depending on which NOR facility you choose. It can range from 45 days to 90 days. At the end of the process, the body will have been transformed into 1 to 1-1/2 cubic yards of soil. Loved ones may receive all or a portion of the soil to scatter or distribute as they wish. They may also choose to donate soil to the NOR facility, which will transport it to a location that has been certified as a burial ground for such remains.

What does it cost?
The cost will vary depending on which funeral home/facility you choose and the services you require. Two of the three local facilities provide their pricing online, and the cost for the basic package of services ranges from approximately $5,000 to $7,000. Adding services such as transporting the body to the facility, delivery of soil to family (in lieu of picking it up), and other special needs may incur additional fees. As a licensed funeral home, these facilities must adhere to the same requirements of “The Funeral Rule” (enacted by the Federal Trade Commission) as traditional funeral homes. This includes providing a General Price List to consumers. (Click HERE to read The Funeral Rule.)

Some additional things to consider:
1. Do you want to hold a funeral service at the time of the “laying in” of your loved one’s body? (Do they have a designated space for this?)
2. Do you want to be able to stream the service to out-of-area family/friends?
3. Do you want to be able to visit during the transformation process? (Is there a fee for this and what hours are available for visitation?)
4. Will it be possible to visit the site where the soil you donate will be distributed/scattered? (Will it require traveling outside the greater Seattle area?)
5. Do they offer any grief support for loved ones (like some traditional funeral homes)?

The three NOR funeral homes/facilities in the greater Seattle area are: Recompose, Return Home, and Earth. (Click on name to link to website.) Like any licensed funeral home, they are accustomed to serving immediate needs.

There is one more “green option,” which I will discuss in my next blog post.

​Copyright © 2024. S. Larkin/Seattle Widow Resources