CALIFORNIA, Md. — As more families explore environmentally conscious end-of-life choices, natural organic reduction, often called human composting, has become part of the conversation. Maryland residents who are planning ahead or helping a loved one make final arrangements may wonder how the process works, how it compares with burial or cremation and what factors to consider before making a decision.
Human composting is a relatively new option in the United States. Washington became the first state to legalize the practice in 2019, and the option has since spread to a growing number of states, according to Earth Funeral, a company that operates natural organic reduction facilities. Maryland is now among them: the state authorized natural organic reduction in 2024, and its first facility opened this year, giving residents a concrete, local option to consider rather than a hypothetical one.
What Is Human Composting?
Human composting, formally known as natural organic reduction, is a process that transforms human remains into nutrient-rich soil through carefully managed natural decomposition.
During the process, a body is placed in a specially designed vessel with natural materials such as wood chips, straw or other organic plant matter. Temperature, moisture and airflow are monitored to encourage the same biological processes that occur in nature, but under controlled conditions. Earth Funeral, which operates Maryland’s first facility, describes its version of the process as taking about 45 days inside “a custom, private vessel” and says it yields roughly one cubic yard of soil per person…