By Carol Milano, USA 
Article was originally published in NFDA Director
 

Consumers are increasingly interested in "green" burial. But what does “green” include? That’s being explored in state legislatures as well as funeral homes, non-profit groups, and small businesses.

A widely publicized new approach, Natural Organic Reduction (NOR), which transforms human remains into fertile soil, is legal in 14 states – Washington (effective May 2020), Colorado (August 2021), Oregon (January 2022), Vermont (January 2023), California (approved in 2022; effective in 2027), New York (August 2024), Nevada (January 2024), Arizona (approved in April 2024), Delaware (May 2024), Maryland (October 2024), Minnesota (effective July 2025), Maine (August 2024), Georgia (effective July 2025), New Jersey (September 2025).

These actions reflect clear shifts in consumer inclinations and concerns. According to the 2024 NFDA Consumer Awareness and Preferences Survey, 68% of respondents expressed interest in green funeral options, marking a significant jump from 55% in 2021. This rapid increase in consumer interest is indicative of a broader societal shift in which individuals are prioritizing sustainability not only in life but also in death. With each passing year, eco-conscious consumers are shaping market trends, and the funeral industry must evolve to meet these changing expectations.

Incentives for Legalization

Representative Pam Marsh (D-OR) discovered NOR when it was legalized in nearby Washington, and sponsored the successful bill. For Marsh, “Any strategy that meets public health standards and has been rigorously validated should be available to people. To me, NOR [allows you] to articulate choices that align with your values, with who you are and how you want to intersect with the Earth.”     

Hundreds of Oregon residents are on the mailing list of Recompose, the Seattle-based firm that introduced NOR in 2017. “Many retired people live here, and are very concerned about the planet. We knew NOR would speak to many in our community, but I didn’t want this tagged as the hippie environmentalist choice,” admits Marsh, who chairs the Energy and Environment Committee. Her focus is on making options available. “Some people like the dust-to-dust concept, or the idea of making themselves soil.”

When Assembly member Amy Paulin (D, NY) heard about NOR, she felt it was “an environmentally great way of accomplishing a task we know we all have to do: dealing with the disposition of loved ones in a humane way.  Natural Organic Reduction does just that.”  She began working on a bill in 2019.  

“I think Colorado is a great place for this,” exclaims Jamie Sarche, director of pre-need planning at Feldman Mortuary in Denver, who was involved in the bill’s passage. “I’m deeply interested in people having their needs met - anything that helps them get the things they want. NOR does that. So many people believe fire cremation is environmentally good, and it’s not. We want to educate about all the options.”

The Colorado legislation brought NOR ample local publicity. Sarche has already had one client, in his 70s, choose NOR. “Given the number of options for cremation these days, I make sure people have all the facts they need to make an educated decision that meets their values.” [...]

Support for Legal Actions

In Oregon, the proposed bill “did not become a partisan issue in any way,” Marsh reports. “We worked closely with the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board. They didn’t endorse the legislation, but were very helpful, coming to hearings, and answering questions we couldn’t have.” The hearings were easier, Marsh suspects, because NOR had passed in two other states, “so we weren’t the first cog in the wheel. The precedent of this strategy having been used with animals was probably good for some of our rural legislators. We did hear it called ‘human composting,’ but we tried to keep to [the term] Natural Organic Reduction.”

In Marsh’s successful bill, HB2574, the section on Disposition of Human Remains specified that, “’Reduced remains’ means the remains of a human body after completion of reduction. ‘Reduction’ means alkaline hydrolysis, natural organic reduction, and any other means of final disposition of human remains authorized by the State Mortuary and Cemetery Board.”

California’s proposed bill pinpoints potential impact of its passage. “By allowing individuals who wish to be organically decomposed into soil, AB 501 will honour an individual’s final wish and prevent one metric ton of carbon from entering the atmosphere for each individual who chooses NOR over conventional burial or cremation.”

New York State’s Cemetery Board has been very supportive of Paulin.  She secured a sponsor in the State Senate and co-sponsors in the Assembly, where the bill reached the floor in two legislative sessions. “The key to the bill,” said Paulin, “is that it’s a personal decision, but never an obligation. If people are opposed to it for religious or other reasons, or if a cemetery doesn’t want to offer it, they are free not to choose it. It should be an option for New Yorkers who want an environmentally friendly way to dispose of a loved one, or themselves, at the end of life. That’s why I introduced the bill.” [..] “Natural Organic Reduction may take people time to appreciate and understand but I’m confident that when they think about the resources saved with this process, and the natural way the bodies are returned to the earth, we will continue to have support for the bill.”  

In Denver the only opposition was the Catholic Church, but they were not a major obstacle. The Colorado Funeral Directors Association stayed fairly neutral.

Nationally, interest is growing, observes Anna Swenson, Outreach Manager at Recompose, which strives to educate lawmakers about NOR and its safety. “Under the last administration, people had to get much more engaged in what’s going on. Now, when people ask, ‘how can I get this in my state?’ I suggest calling their senator or state representative. And often they never have before. People deciding to be part of this movement makes my job fun,” confides Swenson, who calls her realm “ecological death care.”

Available Greener Opportunities

[...] Like NOR, alkaline hydrolysis may appeal to concerns about the environment and staying closer to nature. Water, alkaline chemicals, heat and sometimes pressure accelerate natural decomposition, leaving bone fragments and neutral liquid (effluent). Bringing the same decomposition as burial, alkaline hydrolysis is faster because of chemicals.

Although not yet as widely publicized as NOR, alkaline hydrolysis can appeal to consumers who discover it. In discussing NOR with clients, “When people hear how much compost is created, it can be off-putting,” Sarche finds. “So I bring up alkaline hydrolysis as an option; that can also feed the land.” [...]

The NFDA predicts that the number of Americans opting for cremation could reach 78% by 2040. It’s likely that consumers will be eager for alternatives. As newer approaches, like NOR, grow more widely available, some lawmakers who learn about them are impressed and keen to implement. [...]

>> Read more articles in THANOS Magazine 4/2025