What Happens to the Soil After Terramation? (colloquially referred to as human composting)

Direct Answer

After terramation — the process formally known as natural organic reduction (NOR) — a person’s body is gently transformed by naturally occurring microbes into approximately one-half cubic yard of rich, dark soil. Families typically receive all or a portion of this soil to bring home, plant a memorial tree, scatter in a meaningful place, or donate to conservation land. Unlike cremated remains, this soil is biologically active: it holds nutrients, supports plant life, and sequesters carbon. What your loved one returns to the earth is not ash — it is living material.

What happens to the soil after terramation?

After terramation, a person's body is transformed by microbes into approximately one-half cubic yard of nutrient-rich, biologically active soil. Families receive this Regenerative Living Soil and can use it to plant a memorial tree, enrich a garden, scatter it in a meaningful place, or donate it to conservation land. Unlike cremated remains, this soil supports plant life and sequesters carbon.

Terramation produces roughly one-half cubic yard of dark, nutrient-rich soil per person — far more volume than the 3–9 lbs of ash from cremation.
The soil is biologically active, containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and living microbial communities that support plant growth.
Families can use the soil for a memorial garden or tree planting, scatter it in a meaningful natural place, share it among relatives, or donate it to conservation land.
Terramation soil sequesters carbon rather than releasing it — avoiding roughly one metric ton of CO₂e compared to flame cremation.
The soil is safe for ornamental garden use after passing state-mandated pathogen testing; food-crop use is restricted in some states such as Colorado.

From Body to Soil: The Transformation

The question families most often ask is a simple one: how does a person become soil? The answer lies in microbiology — and in a process that mirrors what has happened in nature for as long as life has existed on earth.

In natural organic reduction, the body is placed in a vessel — TerraCare Partners uses the 4th Generation Chrysalis™ vessel — alongside organic co-materials: typically wood chips, straw, and alfalfa. These materials provide the right balance of carbon and nitrogen to support the activity of naturally occurring microbes and beneficial bacteria already present in the body and the surrounding organic matter.

The vessel controls airflow, moisture, and temperature to create ideal conditions for microbial activity. No chemicals are used. No outside intervention drives the transformation — only biology, given the right environment.

Over a period of several weeks to a few months (the precise timeline varies by system and provider), the microbes break down soft tissue, then bone. What remains is the basic building material of life: carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and a rich matrix of organic matter. The result is dark, earthy, and nutrient-dense — closer in appearance and function to high-quality forest soil than to anything resembling human remains.

The soil is then screened to remove any material that did not fully break down — such as small bone fragments, dental work, or medical hardware — before being returned to families.

What Families Receive

Families who choose terramation through a TerraCare Partners provider receive Regenerative Living Soil™ — approximately one-half cubic yard in volume, roughly the amount that fills a large wheelbarrow or a substantial garden bed. Depending on the provider and how the soil is distributed, this may be packaged in bags or a vessel for transport.

This is markedly different from what families receive after flame cremation. Cremated remains — commonly called “ashes” — are actually pulverized bone fragments, pale gray in color, chemically inert, and largely unusable by plants. A standard cremation produces 3–9 lbs of remains. Terramation produces approximately one-half cubic yard of biologically active soil. The volume alone tells a different story: you are receiving your loved one’s return to the nutrient cycle, not a residue of combustion.

The soil is dark, rich, and alive with microbial activity. It carries the organic signature of your loved one’s body — carbon, minerals, and the trace elements that made them who they were — now available to nourish living things.

What You Can Do With Terramation Soil

Families have meaningful latitude in what they do with the soil they receive. The most common choices:

Plant a Memorial Tree or Garden

Many families bring the soil home and use it to establish a memorial garden or plant a tree that will grow for decades in a loved one’s name. The soil’s nutrient density makes it an excellent amendment for garden beds, flower plantings, or tree installations. For a deeper guide to creating a lasting memorial garden with terramation soil, see our memorial garden guide.

Scatter in a Meaningful Place

Families can scatter terramation soil in forests, meadows, mountains, or other personally significant landscapes — returning a person to a place they loved in life. Because this is biologically active soil rather than cremated remains, it integrates naturally with the surrounding environment. Note: regulations governing where human-origin soil may be scattered vary by state and jurisdiction. Families should verify applicable rules with their provider before scattering on private or public land.

One-half cubic yard of soil is enough to share. Some families divide the soil among multiple relatives, so that each person can plant, scatter, or keep a portion. This can be a meaningful act of shared grief — each family member receiving a small piece of what their loved one has become.

Donate to Conservation

Families who do not wish to keep all of the soil, or who want their loved one’s return to have the widest possible environmental impact, can donate some or all of the soil to conservation land, reforestation projects, or community green spaces. TerraCare Partners providers can facilitate this — and many families find it a profound final gift.

For more on community donation options, see our spoke article on terramation soil donation and community gardens.

The Environmental Significance of the Soil

When the soil from terramation is placed in the ground, it does not simply disappear. It joins the broader carbon cycle in a meaningful way.

Healthy, organic-matter-rich soil is one of the most effective natural carbon stores on the planet. It sequesters carbon dioxide, filters water, provides nutrients to wildlife and plant life, and supports the microbial communities that underpin all terrestrial ecosystems. Soil created through terramation carries these same properties.

By contrast, flame cremation burns organic matter and releases carbon into the atmosphere. According to publicly available NOR documentation and lifecycle assessment data, terramation avoids approximately one metric ton of CO2-equivalent emissions compared to conventional burial or cremation — a meaningful difference on an individual basis, and a substantial one at scale.

To understand this comparison in more detail — including emissions data across all major disposition types — visit our environmental impact hub.

Terramation Soil vs. Cremated Remains: A Direct Comparison

Many families come to this question after having experienced cremation with a previous loved one. Here is what the two processes produce:

	Terramation Soil	Cremated Remains
Volume	~1/2 cubic yard	3–9 lbs
Appearance	Dark, rich, earthy	Gray-white powder/fragments
Biological activity	Yes — microbially active	No — inert mineral matter
Nutrient content	Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, carbon	Minimal; high in calcium phosphate, no organic nutrients
Plant growth	Supports and enhances	Negligible to harmful in concentrated amounts
Carbon footprint	Sequesters carbon	Releases carbon during combustion

Cremated remains are largely calcium phosphate — the mineral remnant of bone after combustion. They contain virtually no organic matter and can actually be harmful to plants in high concentrations due to elevated pH and salt content. Terramation soil, by contrast, can be worked directly into garden beds and around trees. It feeds what it touches.

For a more detailed comparison of terramation soil and cremation remains, see our article on natural organic reduction soil vs. cremation ashes.

Is the Soil Safe?

This is one of the most common questions families ask, and the answer is yes — with caveats worth understanding.

The temperature and microbial activity of the NOR process are sufficient to break down pathogens. Regulatory frameworks in states where NOR is legal — including Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and 11 others — require the process to meet standards designed to ensure the soil is safe for general environmental use.

For a complete breakdown of soil safety for gardens, plants, and food-growing contexts, see our dedicated article: Is Terramation Soil Safe for Gardens and Plants?

The one consistent recommendation from providers: do not use terramation soil to grow food crops for human consumption. This is a standard precaution. For ornamental gardens, trees, conservation land, and memorial plantings, the soil is considered safe and appropriate.

Where Terramation Is Available

Natural organic reduction is currently legal in 14 states: Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, California, New York, Nevada, Arizona, Maryland, Delaware, Minnesota, Maine, Georgia, and New Jersey. Availability of active services varies — some states have passed legislation but have not yet launched commercial operations.

To learn more about how terramation works and whether it is available in your area, start with our foundational overview.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you are considering terramation for yourself or a loved one, TerraCare Partners can connect you with a provider in your region.

Learn more about terramation services near you

Ready to explore terramation? Contact TerraCare Partners

Sources

The Natural Funeral — Natural Organic Reduction / Terramation overview, including Regenerative Living Soil™ description and Chrysalis™ vessel process. https://www.thenaturalfuneral.com/natural-organic-reduction-body-composting/
TerraCare Partner Program — TerraCare Partners program overview, Regenerative Living Soil™ trademark, Chrysalis™ vessel. https://www.thenaturalfuneral.com/terracarepartnerprogram/
US Funerals — Terramation as a death care alternative: NOR process, ~1/2 cubic yard soil yield, ~1 metric ton CO2 savings, legal state overview. https://us-funerals.com/human-composting-as-a-new-death-care-alternative-a-guide-to-nor/
NFDA — 2025 Cremation and Burial Report: 63.4% projected cremation rate; 61.4% of consumers interested in green funeral options. https://nfda.org/news/statistics
Washington State Legislature — SB 5001 (2019), the bill authorizing natural organic reduction in Washington State. https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5001&Year=2019