nor education 11 min read

By TerraCare

What Happens When You Choose Terramation: A Family's Guide From First Call to Soil (colloquially referred to as human composting)

Choosing how a loved one will be cared for after death is one of the most significant decisions a family can make — and it often happens quickly, in the middle of grief. If you or someone you love has chosen terramation, or if you are simply trying to understand what this path would actually look like for your family, this guide is for you.

When a family chooses terramation — also called natural organic reduction (NOR) — here is what the experience typically looks like: You make a first call to a funeral home or NOR provider. They transport your loved one and care for them with the same reverence as any licensed funeral service. If you want a viewing or gathering before the process begins, that can be arranged. Over the following weeks to a few months, the provider manages the NOR process and keeps you informed. When it is complete, they contact you to arrange the return of approximately one-half cubic yard of Regenerative Living Soil™. From there, what you do with that soil is entirely up to you.

What is the terramation experience like for families from first call to soil return?

When a family chooses terramation, the process unfolds in eight stages: making a first call to a provider, transfer and intake with full chain-of-custody documentation, optional viewing or farewell gathering, the 60–90 day NOR process with provider communication, administrative paperwork (death certificates), a notification when soil is ready, receiving approximately one-half cubic yard of Regenerative Living Soil, and then choosing how to use it — planting, scattering, donating, or sharing among family members.

  • The first call to an NOR provider commits nothing — providers expect families to gather information and often speak with multiple providers before deciding; you do not need to have made any decisions to call.
  • Full identification documentation is maintained throughout the entire process — families can be certain the soil they receive is their loved one's, with the same chain-of-custody standards as any licensed funeral service.
  • The 60–90 day NOR process is managed by the provider; families wait at home, continuing to grieve while providers communicate progress and notify when soil is ready.
  • Receiving the soil is described by many families as unexpectedly meaningful — a second moment of gathering, often more healing than the initial service, with a tangible, living presence to carry forward.
  • What families do with the soil is entirely up to them, with no timeline pressure — some plant immediately, others wait months or years; both are valid and providers do not impose urgency.

This is the family’s journey. For the physical science behind what happens inside the vessel, see our article on the terramation process explained, which covers the biological steps in detail.

Step 1: The First Call

Most families reach out to a funeral home or NOR provider within hours or days of a death — sometimes even before a death, when a loved one is actively dying and the family wants to have a plan in place. Either situation is completely normal, and providers are accustomed to both.

When you make that first call, you do not need to have made any decisions yet. The goal of this initial conversation is simply to gather information and understand your options. A good provider will guide the conversation and answer your questions at whatever pace you need.

Here is what the provider will typically ask you during or shortly after that first call:

  • The full legal name, date of birth, and date of death of your loved one
  • The location where your loved one is currently — a hospital, hospice facility, nursing home, or private residence
  • Whether there is a pre-arrangement or pre-paid plan already in place
  • The names and contact information of the legally authorized person (the next of kin or designated agent) who will be making decisions

And here are some questions that are completely reasonable to ask the provider on that first call:

  • Is NOR available and operational in my state?
  • What does your process look like from here?
  • Can we have a viewing or a service before you begin the NOR process?
  • How will you keep us informed during the process?
  • When and how will the soil be returned to us?

You are not obligated to commit to anything on the first call. Many families speak with more than one provider before choosing. That is not just acceptable — it is encouraged.

If you are unsure whether terramation is currently offered in your state, our state guides have current legal and operational status for all 14 states where NOR is now law.

Step 2: Transfer and Intake

Once your family has chosen a provider and authorized the transfer, the provider dispatches a team to bring your loved one into their care. This is handled exactly as it would be with any licensed funeral service — with full documentation, respectful transport, and careful identification procedures that are maintained throughout the entire process.

Identification is one of the most important safeguards in any disposition method, and NOR providers maintain the same rigorous chain of custody as any licensed funeral home. There is never any uncertainty about whose remains you receive at the end.

At the facility, your loved one is received and documented. The team completes the intake process, confirms all information, and prepares what comes next based on the family’s wishes.

Step 3: Family Time — Viewing, Services, and Goodbyes

Choosing terramation does not mean skipping rituals or rushing past meaningful goodbyes. Most NOR providers offer families the option to have a viewing or a gathering before the process begins — and some are specifically designed to support those moments.

If a viewing is important to you, it is worth asking the provider directly what they offer and what they recommend. Some families hold a full memorial service — at the funeral home, at a house of worship, or in a family home — before authorizing the provider to begin the NOR process. Others prefer a quiet, private time at the facility itself: a chance to sit with their loved one, say goodbye, and perhaps place meaningful items such as flowers, herbs, or written notes that will be included in the vessel.

For a fuller discussion of what a viewing or service before terramation looks like, see our article on viewing before terramation.

Once the family has had their time and has given authorization, the provider proceeds.

Step 4: The NOR Process — What Families Experience During the Wait

This is the part that is hardest to describe in family terms, because from your perspective, it is a period of waiting. Your loved one is in the care of the provider, the process is underway, and you are at home — continuing to grieve, to gather, to remember.

The NOR process itself takes several weeks to a few months, depending on the provider’s system and the specific conditions they maintain. During this time, a good provider stays in communication with families. Most will give you an estimated timeframe at the beginning, and many will reach out at key points in the process to let you know how things are progressing. Do not hesitate to ask what to expect when it comes to communication — every provider handles this a little differently, and there is no wrong question.

For many families, the waiting period is when grief moves at its own pace. There is no grave to visit yet, no container on the mantle. It can feel like a liminal time — and for some, that feels right. Others find it helpful to make plans during this period: choosing where the soil will go, deciding who will be part of the return ceremony, or beginning to select a tree or plant for a living memorial.

Some families also use this time to handle the administrative tasks that come with any death: notifying financial institutions, managing estates, and applying for death certificates. Your funeral provider will help you understand how many certified copies of the death certificate you may need and what other documentation the state requires.

Step 5: Paperwork and Documentation

Regardless of the disposition method, every death requires formal documentation. For NOR, this typically includes:

  • Death certificate — prepared and filed by the funeral provider with the state vital records office. Families usually need multiple certified copies for financial, legal, and estate purposes.
  • Burial permit / disposition permit — required by most states before disposition can proceed; your provider handles this.
  • Disposition records — documentation of the NOR process itself, maintained by the provider per state licensing requirements.

Your provider manages all of this on your behalf. But it is worth asking, early in the process, how many certified death certificates your family is likely to need — most estate attorneys recommend between 8 and 12 copies, depending on the complexity of the estate.

Step 6: The Notification — Soil Is Ready

When the NOR process is complete and the soil has been finished and prepared for return, your provider will contact you. This is a moment that families describe in different ways — some feel relief, some feel a fresh wave of grief, some feel something that is harder to name. There is no right way to receive this news.

The provider will typically explain:

  • That the process is complete and the Regenerative Living Soil is ready
  • How and when you can receive the soil
  • What the soil will look like and how it will be packaged
  • Any options the provider offers for the return — including whether a ceremony or gathering at the facility is possible

This is also a good time to ask any final questions: about what is in the soil, how it can be used, and whether the provider has recommendations for local planting or scattering options.

Step 7: Receiving the Soil

The soil return is the moment that many families describe as the most meaningful part of the entire experience. What you receive is not ash or a small container of symbolic remains. You receive approximately one-half cubic yard — of dark, rich, nutrient-dense soil. It is the complete biological transformation of your loved one’s body, returned to the earth in its most fundamental form.

Providers package and present the soil in different ways. Some offer a ceremonial presentation; others provide it in a practical container or bag for transport. Ask your provider in advance what the return looks like so you can be prepared — and so you can think about how you want to receive it and who you want to be there.

To learn more about what this soil is and what makes it different from cremated remains, see our article on what is Regenerative Living Soil.

Step 8: What Comes Next — The Living Memorial

Once you have the soil, the possibilities are as personal as the person you are honoring. Families use Regenerative Living Soil in many ways:

  • Plant a tree or garden on private property — one of the most common choices, and deeply meaningful for families whose loved one had a connection to the land
  • Scatter the soil in a place that held meaning — a favorite trail, a piece of conservation land, a family property — subject to the same general guidelines that apply to scattering cremated remains
  • Donate a portion to a conservation project — many providers have established partnerships with land trusts or restoration projects where families can contribute their loved one’s soil to a protected landscape
  • Keep some of the soil — in a planter, a garden bed, or a container at home

Many families choose to divide the soil, sharing portions with siblings or other family members, planting some and keeping some close. There is no requirement to do any of it on a particular schedule. Some families plant a tree the week they receive the soil; others take a year to decide.

What matters is that the choice is yours — and that it can change and grow as your grief does.

Ready to explore terramation options? Contact TerraCare Partners

Pre-Planning: Making This Easier for Your Family

One of the most powerful things about understanding the terramation process as a family experience is that it can make pre-planning feel less abstract and more approachable. When you know what the journey looks like — the first call, the waiting period, the soil return — you can document your wishes in a way that is genuinely useful to the people you leave behind.

Pre-planning for terramation means your family does not have to make these decisions while in shock. It means they know who to call, what you wanted, and that the process is already set in motion. Our article on terramation pre-planning walks through what documenting your wishes actually involves and what questions to ask a provider before you need them.

For a full overview of terramation — including how it compares to other options and what families across 14 states are choosing — visit our complete guide to terramation.

Find a funeral home offering terramation in your state

Sources

  1. Washington State Department of Ecology — Natural Organic Reduction rulemaking documentation, health and safety standards, and environmental review. 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 disposition statistics and consumer trend data. https://nfda.org/news/statistics
  4. 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
  5. New Jersey Legislature — A4694 (signed 2022), legalizing natural organic reduction in New Jersey. https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/
  6. Washington State Vital Records — Death certificate requirements and documentation standards for licensed disposition providers. https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/vital-records
  7. Colorado General Assembly — SB 21-006 (2021), legalizing natural organic reduction in Colorado. https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb21-006
  8. Oregon Legislative Assembly — HB 2574 (2021), legalizing natural organic reduction in Oregon. https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/HB2574