nor education 8 min read

By TerraCare

The Terramation Process Explained: What Happens From Beginning to Soil (colloquially referred to as human composting)

When someone you love has died—or when you are planning ahead for yourself—it is natural to want to understand exactly what happens. Terramation is one of the newer options families are considering, and reading about it can feel unfamiliar, even difficult. Families who ask these questions do so out of love. The more you understand, the more confident you can feel in any decision you make.

Terramation, also known as natural organic reduction (NOR), is a carefully managed biological process that gently transforms human remains into nutrient-rich soil. The body is placed in a specially designed vessel, surrounded by organic materials like wood chips and straw, and kept in a warm, oxygen-rich environment. Over the course of several weeks to a few months, naturally occurring microbes complete the transformation. What emerges is approximately 1/2 cubic yard of clean, fertile soil that families can use to plant a tree, nourish a garden, or scatter in a meaningful place.

What happens step by step during the terramation process?

During terramation, the body is placed in a vessel with wood chips, straw, alfalfa, and wildflowers. Over 60–90 days, naturally occurring microbes transform the remains into approximately one-half cubic yard of nutrient-rich soil. The process has six stages: transfer and intake, vessel placement, adding organic materials, active microbial transformation with aeration and warmth, screening and finishing, and finally soil return to the family.

  • The terramation process has six distinct stages: transfer and intake, placement in the vessel, adding organic co-materials, active microbial transformation, screening and finishing, and soil return to the family.
  • No chemicals are used — the transformation is driven entirely by naturally occurring microbes already present in the organic materials, which generate heat that also meets public health pathogen-reduction standards.
  • The active transformation phase takes roughly 30–50 days depending on the provider's system; the resting and curing phase adds another 30 days before soil is ready for return.
  • Families receive approximately one-half cubic yard of Regenerative Living Soil — genuinely fertile, nutrient-dense earth ready to plant with, scatter, or donate to conservation land.
  • Families can hold a farewell gathering or ceremony before the process begins, just as they would before cremation; terramation is fully compatible with meaningful rituals and goodbyes.

For a broader look at this option and how it compares to others, visit our complete guide to terramation.

Step 1: Transfer and Intake

Everything begins the same way it would with any funeral arrangement: the provider receives your loved one from the place of death—a hospital, hospice, or home—and brings them to the NOR facility.

The body is handled with the same reverence as any licensed funeral service. Identification is carefully documented and maintained throughout the entire process, so there is never uncertainty about whose remains you receive at the end.

If a family has requested a viewing or a gathering before the process begins, that happens at this stage. Some families choose a brief ceremony at the facility; others hold a service elsewhere first. Terramation does not preclude meaningful rituals or goodbyes.

Step 2: Placement in the Vessel

Once any family time has taken place, your loved one is gently placed in the vessel—a specialized chamber designed to create the right conditions for natural transformation. Different providers use different designs. Some use a single vessel per person; others use a larger system with carefully controlled conditions across multiple chambers. The Chrysalis™ vessel, used by some providers, is one example: a human-scale chamber built to hold both the body and the organic materials that support the process.

Step 3: Adding Organic Materials

Before or after the body is placed in the vessel, it is surrounded by a carefully selected mixture of organic materials. These typically include:

  • Wood chips — provide carbon and create airspace for oxygen to circulate
  • Straw or alfalfa — add nitrogen and support microbial activity
  • Wildflowers or other botanicals — sometimes added by the provider or chosen by the family as a meaningful touch

These materials are chosen to create the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio that supports healthy, efficient decomposition—similar to what a skilled composter manages, but precisely controlled for the NOR process. Many providers also accommodate family requests to include flowers, leaves, or herbs that hold personal significance.

Step 4: The Transformation — Aeration, Warmth, and Time

This is where the biological process does its work. The vessel is kept warm and regularly aerated—ensuring oxygen reaches all parts and conditions stay optimal for microbial activity. The microbes already present in the organic materials and on the body are the primary agents of transformation. No chemicals are added, and no outside microbes are introduced. It is the same process nature uses in forests and fields, carefully monitored and optimized.

As microbial activity intensifies, temperatures inside the vessel rise to levels that meet or exceed public health standards for pathogen reduction—comparable to regulated composting operations. Washington State, which first legalized NOR in 2019, established detailed health and safety requirements for this stage, and those standards have since informed regulations in other states.

How long does this take? The honest answer is: several weeks to a few months, depending on the system and the specific conditions maintained by the provider. There is no single universal timeline. Providers vary in how they design their vessels, how they manage airflow, and the blend of organic materials they use — and all of those choices affect the pace of transformation. What families can count on is that providers communicate progress and reach out when the soil is ready. If you want to understand the timing in more detail, our article on how long terramation takes covers what families can realistically expect.

Step 5: Screening and Finishing

When the transformation is complete, what remains is soil—along with small amounts of bone material that did not fully break down. This is normal and expected. The soil goes through a screening process: any remaining bone fragments are separated, processed, and returned to the soil. The result is a consistent, finished material—dark, earthy, and rich in nutrients. Some providers include a brief curing period to ensure stability before the soil is returned to the family. Throughout this stage, providers approach the work with the same care and reverence that has marked every step before it.

Step 6: Soil Return to the Family

At the end of the process, families receive approximately 1/2 cubic yard of Regenerative Living Soil™—nutrient-rich, finished soil, about the volume of a large wheelbarrow. This is not ash or a symbolic token. It is the actual material that results from a complete biological transformation—genuinely fertile, capable of supporting plant life.

Families have many choices for what to do with it:

  • Plant a tree or garden on private property
  • Scatter the soil in a meaningful location, subject to local regulations (similar to the rules that apply to scattering cremated remains)
  • Donate a portion to conservation land or a forest restoration project—many providers have established partnerships for families who want the soil to benefit a larger landscape
  • Keep it, in a container or planter, as a living memorial in the home

There is no single right answer. Many families divide the soil—planting some and keeping some close. Your provider can walk you through options and any local considerations that apply. For more detail on this stage, see our article on what happens during terramation.

Why Families Choose This Path

Families who choose terramation often describe a sense of rightness about it—a feeling that this is the most natural way for the body to return to the earth. For those who spent a lifetime gardening, composting, or caring about the environment, it can feel like a final act of coherence with who they were.

Others are drawn to what terramation does not involve: no embalming chemicals, no concrete vault, no fuel burned. Research cited in Washington State Department of Ecology documentation indicates that terramation produces approximately half a ton less carbon dioxide equivalent than flame cremation—meaningful for families with strong environmental values.

For many, the soil itself is what matters most. Rather than ash, they receive something they can plant—a tree that grows for decades, a garden that blooms each spring.

There is also the matter of simplicity. Because terramation does not require a cemetery plot, families have flexibility in how and where they memorialize. There is no ongoing maintenance fee, no designated location that must be visited to feel connected. The soil can go to the places their loved one loved—a backyard, a favorite trail, a conservation land that will be protected for generations.

Families who are still weighing their options often find it helpful to talk with a provider before making any commitment. A conversation—even a brief one—can clarify what the process actually involves and how providers approach each family’s unique situation.

Ready to explore terramation options? Contact TerraCare Partners

Is This Available Where You Live?

As of 2026, NOR is legal in 14 states. Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, Nevada, Arizona, Maryland, Delaware, Minnesota, Maine, and Georgia are legal and operational. California, New York, and New Jersey are legal but not yet fully operational—families in those states can research and plan, but services are not yet available.

For current, state-specific information, see states where NOR is currently legal. Our what is natural organic reduction and natural organic reduction guide articles are good companion reads to this one.

Find a funeral home offering terramation in your state

Sources

  1. Washington State Department of Health — Natural Organic Reduction regulatory standards (WAC 246-500). https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=246-500
  2. Washington State Legislature — SB 5001 (2019), the first law legalizing natural organic reduction in the United States. https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5001&Year=2019
  3. National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) — 2025 Cremation & Burial Report, national cremation and disposition statistics. https://nfda.org/news/statistics
  4. Washington State Department of Health — Natural Organic Reduction regulatory standards (WAC 246-500), including environmental review context. https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=246-500
  5. Colorado General Assembly — SB 21-006 (2021), legalizing natural organic reduction in Colorado. https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb21-006
  6. California Legislature — AB-351 (2022), legalizing natural organic reduction in California effective January 1, 2027. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB351
  7. Oregon Legislative Assembly — HB 2574 (2021), legalizing natural organic reduction in Oregon. https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/HB2574
  8. Soil Science Society of America — Background on biological decomposition and microbial activity in managed organic reduction environments. https://www.soils.org/