The Environmental Movement's Impact on Funeral Consumers (colloquially referred to as human composting)

Environmental consciousness has moved from a fringe concern to a mainstream value over the past fifty years—and it is now showing up in death care in measurable ways. The growth of green burial, the legalization of natural organic reduction (NOR) in 14 states, and the consumer demand for alternatives to embalming and concrete vaults are not coincidental. They reflect a broader cultural shift: for a growing number of Americans, environmental values aren’t set aside at death. They inform the final decision. This article examines what that shift looks like, what the data says about consumer attitudes, and what it means for funeral home operators trying to read their market.

How is the environmental movement changing what funeral consumers want?

Environmental values are now shaping end-of-life decisions the same way they shape consumer choices in food, transportation, and housing. The Green Burial Council has seen consistent provider growth, consumer interest in skipping embalming has increased, and NOR has been legalized in 14 states driven largely by consumer demand from environmentally motivated families. NFDA consumer surveys consistently find younger adults choose alternative disposition for environmental reasons at significantly higher rates than older generations.

Environmental concern is now mainstream across all adult generations — Gallup and Pew surveys show sustained majorities expressing concern, not just younger demographics.
The 'final act' narrative — that disposition is the last meaningful expression of environmental commitment — resonates strongly with consumers who have spent decades making eco-conscious choices.
NFDA consumer surveys track declining demand for embalming (partly environmental) and growing interest in alternatives including NOR and green burial, particularly among younger adults.
The Green Burial Council, CANA's NOROC program, and NFDA's NOR education programming all signal that professional industry infrastructure is following consumer demand rather than leading it.
Funeral homes that authenticate their environmental commitment — through specific, verifiable claims, not vague 'green' marketing — are better positioned to capture the environmentally motivated consumer segment.

How Has Environmental Consciousness Changed American Consumer Behavior?

The trajectory is well-documented. Gallup’s annual environmental surveys show sustained majorities of Americans expressing concern about environmental quality, with climate change and pollution consistently ranking as priority concerns. Pew Research Center surveys on environmental attitudes find similar patterns—strong concern about climate change across demographic groups, with younger Americans showing the highest levels of concern and older Americans showing higher engagement than was typical a generation ago.

Importantly, this shift is not only generational. Baby boomers who came of age during the first Earth Day in 1970 have lived through five decades of environmental awareness building. Many in this demographic have made significant lifestyle changes around environmental values—reducing plastic use, supporting renewable energy, choosing sustainable products. It would be surprising if end-of-life choices were exempt from this value system.

Environmental attitudes are now shaping consumer behavior in sectors that had little green dimension twenty years ago: food, transportation, home energy, clothing, travel. Funeral services are the most recent addition to this list, but the underlying consumer dynamics are the same. When a value is deeply held, it eventually reaches every purchasing decision.

How Are Environmental Values Showing Up in Funeral Consumer Choices?

The evidence is qualitative as well as quantitative, and it shows up across multiple dimensions of death care.

Interest in green burial. The Green Burial Council, which certifies green burial providers and products, has seen consistent growth in certified providers over the past decade. Green burial—which typically means no embalming, a biodegradable or no casket, and burial in natural ground without a concrete vault—is now offered by a meaningful number of funeral homes and cemeteries across the country.

Rejection of embalming. Consumer interest in skipping embalming has grown, driven partly by environmental concerns (embalming fluid contains formaldehyde, a hazardous chemical) and partly by cost sensitivity. NFDA consumer surveys have tracked declining demand for embalming where it is not legally required.

Natural Organic Reduction. NOR is the most direct expression of environmental values in disposition. The process returns the body to soil—literally contributing to the earth rather than occupying a sealed burial space or generating emissions. Consumer research from states where NOR is operational consistently finds that environmental motivation is among the top reasons families choose it.

Preference for natural settings. Memorial ceremonies are increasingly held in parks, forests, gardens, and other natural environments rather than traditional funeral home chapels. This preference aligns with values about connection to nature and environmental legacy.

Reuse and sustainability at the ceremony level. Families are choosing potted plants rather than cut flowers, planting memorial trees rather than erecting headstones, and selecting biodegradable urns for cremated remains. The environmental value extends beyond the disposition method itself into the whole end-of-life ritual.

What Does the “Final Act” Framing Mean for NOR?

Among environmentally motivated consumers, there is a recurring theme in how they describe end-of-life choices: the disposition decision is a final meaningful act of environmental commitment. If someone has spent decades reducing their carbon footprint, supporting environmental causes, and choosing sustainable products, the idea that their death should result in chemical embalming and a sealed concrete vault in the ground is genuinely dissonant with their values.

NOR resolves that dissonance directly. The body becomes nutrient-rich soil—Regenerative Living Soil™—that can nourish trees, restore land, or support conservation projects. The environmental logic is clear and emotionally resonant. For families navigating the grief of losing someone with strong environmental values, NOR offers a disposition that feels like a continuation of those values rather than an abandonment of them.

This framing is not unique to NOR advocates. It appears in media coverage from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR—all of which have covered NOR with attention to the environmental motivation of consumers who choose it. The “final act” narrative is already in mainstream cultural circulation.

What Do Demographics Tell Us About Environmental Motivation in Death Care?

The demographic picture is nuanced.

Younger generations are the most environmentally motivated. Millennials and Gen Z express higher levels of environmental concern than older cohorts in survey after survey. As Millennials begin facing parental loss—and begin thinking about their own end-of-life planning—they bring these values to funeral decisions. This is the demographic cohort most likely to choose NOR on environmental grounds.

Baby boomers are a substantial NOR market, not a passive one. Boomers who are now 62–80 years old are the primary death care market in the near term simply by demographics. A meaningful segment of this cohort holds strong environmental values—they were the generation that built the modern environmental movement. Pre-need planning among environmentally motivated boomers is a real market, and NOR is well positioned to capture it.

Geographic variation matters. Environmental concern is higher in coastal states, urban areas, and certain college-educated demographic segments. The states where NOR is operational—Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and others—tend to have demographic profiles with above-average environmental concern. This is not coincidental; legislative success in these states reflects their consumer base.

How Is the Funeral Industry Responding?

The industry response to environmental consumer preferences has been uneven but directional.

Green Burial Council certification has expanded. More funeral homes and cemeteries hold GBC certification than a decade ago. This signals that operators recognize the market value of environmental credentialing.

NOR legalization itself is partly an industry response to consumer demand. In Washington, environmental advocates and consumer interest drove the political push behind SB 5001. Funeral industry associations in supportive states have increasingly recognized NOR as a legitimate addition to the service menu rather than a threat to traditional practices.

NFDA has incorporated green and alternative disposition topics into its education programming, acknowledging that funeral professionals need to understand these options to serve their clients. The Cremation Association of North America (CANA) has developed its NOROC (Natural Organic Reduction Operator Certification) program, signaling that the professional certification infrastructure is following consumer demand. See CANA’s Position on NOR for details on that certification.

The Green Burial Council’s certified provider network includes funeral homes, cemeteries, and cremation providers that have met specific environmental standards. Funeral homes seeking this certification are explicitly positioning to serve the environmentally motivated consumer segment.

Where Is This Trend Heading?

The directional momentum is clear: environmental factors in disposition decisions will grow. Climate change is becoming more urgent and mainstream as a lived experience—extreme weather events, wildfire smoke, flooding—and this increases salience of environmental choices across all domains.

As awareness of NOR expands—through media coverage, word of mouth from families who’ve used it, and education campaigns like this one—the proportion of consumers actively considering it as a disposition option will grow. In states like California, which has legalized NOR but won’t become operational until January 1, 2027, there is a large population of environmentally motivated consumers who are already aware of NOR and waiting for it to be available.

For funeral home operators, the strategic implication is straightforward: the consumer segment that prioritizes environmental values in death care is growing, is willing to pay a premium for environmental alignment, and is underserved by most funeral homes. Adding NOR—or green burial certification, or both—is how funeral homes capture this segment.

For a broader look at how NOR fits into consumer long-term planning, see Environmental Legacy Planning with Terramation. For NOR’s current legal landscape, visit NOR State Guides.

Talk to TerraCare Partners about adding terramation to your funeral home. The environmentally motivated consumer segment is growing—and most funeral homes aren’t positioned to serve it yet. Contact us to learn about adding NOR to your service menu.

Schedule a discovery call with TerraCare Partners. We’ll help you understand the environmental consumer opportunity in your market and how to position your funeral home to capture it. Contact us.

FAQ: The Environmental Movement and Funeral Consumers

Is environmental motivation a major factor in why consumers choose NOR?

Yes. Consumer research and anecdotal evidence from NOR providers consistently finds that environmental motivation—wanting disposition that aligns with environmental values and contributes to the earth—is among the top reasons families choose NOR. The “final act” framing resonates strongly with environmentally motivated consumers.

Are younger or older consumers more likely to choose NOR for environmental reasons?

Both demographics show environmental motivation, but for different reasons and at different stages of life. Millennials and Gen Z express the highest environmental concern and are likely to plan NOR for themselves. Baby boomers, many of whom shaped the environmental movement, are often choosing NOR in their pre-need planning as a values-consistent end-of-life choice.

What is the Green Burial Council and how does it relate to NOR?

The Green Burial Council is a nonprofit organization that certifies green burial providers, products, and practices. While GBC certification is most commonly associated with natural burial in the ground, its work is part of the broader green disposition movement that also includes NOR. Some funeral homes and cemeteries hold both GBC certification and NOR capability.

Does NOR have a lower environmental impact than cremation?

Research from Washington State University has found that NOR has a significantly lower carbon footprint than flame cremation. Cremation releases CO2; NOR sequesters carbon in the resulting soil. A detailed comparison is covered in Terramation vs. Aquamation: Which Is Greener?.

How should a funeral home market to environmentally motivated consumers?

Authentically. Consumers with strong environmental values are skeptical of greenwashing and respond best to specific, honest claims—the actual environmental benefits of NOR, the carbon comparison to cremation, the use of returned soil for conservation or land restoration. Partnerships with local conservation organizations, green burial advocacy groups, and hospices serving environmentally motivated patients are also effective community-based approaches.

Sources

Gallup — Environmental Survey Data. https://news.gallup.com/poll/1615/environment.aspx
Pew Research Center — Public Views on Climate and Energy. https://www.pewresearch.org/topic/energy-environment/
Green Burial Council — Certified Provider Network. https://www.greenburialcouncil.org
NFDA Consumer Survey Data — National Funeral Directors Association. https://nfda.org/news/statistics
NFDA 2025 Cremation & Burial Report. https://nfda.org/news/statistics
WSU NOR Research — Washington State University. https://cahnrs.wsu.edu/ (original sub-page retired; editor locate current WSU NOR research page)
NPR — NOR Coverage. https://www.npr.org
The New York Times — Natural Organic Reduction Coverage. https://www.nytimes.com
The Washington Post — Green Funeral Trends. https://www.washingtonpost.com

Part of the complete guide to natural organic reduction | See NOR legal states | Partner support for funeral homes | NOR FAQ