nor education 9 min read

By TerraCare

Katrina Spade and the Origins of NOR (colloquially referred to as human composting)

Katrina Spade is the architect-turned-death-care innovator who turned a graduate school idea into the first commercially available natural organic reduction (NOR) service in the United States. She drove the research that validated NOR as a safe and environmentally sound process and played a central role in passing Washington State’s landmark 2019 legislation that made NOR legal for the first time anywhere in the country. Her story is one of the defining chapters in the complete guide to natural organic reduction.

Who is Katrina Spade and what role did she play in creating the NOR industry?

Katrina Spade is the architect and death-care innovator who conceptualized modern terramation around 2012–2013, founded the Urban Death Project (later the first commercial NOR facility in Seattle), partnered with WSU researcher Dr. Lynne Carpenter-Boggs to validate the science, and drove the advocacy campaign that produced Washington State's SB 5001 — the first NOR law in the world, signed May 21, 2019. Her 2016 TED Talk introduced millions of people to the concept.

  • Katrina Spade came to death care from architecture — her outsider perspective on systems design was what made her willing to question burial and cremation defaults.
  • Her Urban Death Project (founded ~2014) became the advocacy and research vehicle that drove Washington's SB 5001 and then became the first commercial NOR facility in Seattle.
  • The WSU research partnership with Dr. Lynne Carpenter-Boggs provided the scientific validation legislators needed — combining entrepreneurial advocacy with peer-reviewed evidence.
  • Her 2016 TED Talk 'A Burial Practice That Nourishes the Planet' has been viewed millions of times and remains the most common entry point for people discovering NOR.
  • SB 5001 (signed May 21, 2019, effective May 1, 2020) established Washington as the first jurisdiction in the world to legally authorize NOR and created the regulatory template all subsequent state bills have used.
  • The first commercial NOR facility in Seattle opened in 2021 — Spade's most tangible legacy is the industry model she created, now operating across 14 states.

Who Is Katrina Spade?

Katrina Spade came to death care from an unusual direction: architecture. She had no background in funeral service, mortuary science, or even biology when she first began thinking seriously about how Americans dispose of human remains. That outsider perspective — designing systems, thinking about community space, questioning assumptions — turned out to be exactly the lens the death-care field needed.

Spade’s interest grew from a straightforward observation: most Americans die in ways that are hard on the land. Conventional burial requires embalming fluid, steel or hardwood caskets, and concrete vaults. Cremation, while increasingly popular (63.4% of Americans now choose it, according to the NFDA 2025 Cremation & Burial Report), releases carbon dioxide and uses significant energy. Spade began asking whether there was something better — a process that returned human remains to the earth as nutrients rather than consuming resources or producing emissions.

How Did the Idea for NOR Begin?

Around 2012 and 2013, while Spade was studying architecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, she began developing the conceptual foundation for what she initially called “urban death.” The core idea drew on agricultural composting — a well-understood process in which organic matter breaks down into rich soil — and asked whether the same principles could apply, with care and intentionality, to human remains.

The concept was not about outdoor burial in a meadow. Spade envisioned a purpose-built facility: a community-centered building where families could participate in the process of laying a loved one to rest surrounded by wood chips and other organic material, trusting that the natural microbial activity already at work in every compost pile would gently transform the body into fertile soil over time.

This combination of environmental purpose, community design, and biological process became the seed of the Natural Organic Reduction industry.

What Was the Urban Death Project?

In approximately 2014, Spade founded the Urban Death Project, an organization focused on research, advocacy, and public education around NOR. The name reflected her architectural roots — a facility designed for an urban context, making composting of human remains accessible to city-dwellers who might not have access to rural land.

The Urban Death Project attracted significant public and scientific attention. It was at this stage that Spade began working toward the research collaboration that would ultimately prove NOR was scientifically sound.

The Urban Death Project was later renamed and ultimately became the first licensed commercial NOR provider in the United States.

What Did the WSU Research Show?

One of the most important steps between concept and legislation was scientific validation. Spade partnered with Dr. Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, a soil scientist at Washington State University, to conduct the first formal scientific study of NOR using human remains.

The WSU study examined whether the composting process could safely and completely transform human remains into usable soil amendment — and whether pathogens, heavy metals, and other concerns could be adequately managed. The research findings, shared through WSU press releases and later informing Washington State’s regulatory framework, gave legislators and public health officials the evidence they needed to feel confident that NOR was both safe and effective.

That collaboration between a design-minded entrepreneur and an academic scientist became a model for how NOR policy would be built: ground the advocacy in rigorous research first.

How Did the TED Talk Change Everything?

In 2016, Spade gave a TED Talk titled “A Burial Practice That Nourishes the Planet.” It reached a global audience and introduced millions of people to the idea of natural organic reduction for the first time.

The talk was direct and earnest. Spade walked through the environmental case against conventional burial and cremation, explained the science of composting, and made the case that returning human remains to the earth as soil was not a macabre idea — it was a generous one. The video has accumulated millions of views and remains one of the most-cited entry points for people discovering NOR.

The TED Talk marked a turning point: NOR went from a niche academic concept to a topic that ordinary people were discussing at dinner tables, in environmental groups, and in state legislatures.

How Did Washington State Become the First to Legalize NOR?

Spade’s organization was the central force behind Washington State Senate Bill 5001 (SB 5001), the legislation that made NOR legal for the first time anywhere in the United States. Spade and her team worked alongside funeral industry stakeholders, environmental advocates, and public health officials to build the case.

SB 5001 was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee on May 21, 2019, and took effect May 1, 2020. Washington became the first state where a licensed provider could legally offer NOR to families. For more detail on that legislative history, see our article How Washington Became First to Legalize Terramation.

The Washington law established a regulatory framework that other states would go on to study and adapt. It required NOR providers to meet specific standards for the process, the facility, and the handling of the resulting soil — creating a template that has since been replicated, with variations, in 13 additional states.

When Did the First Commercial NOR Facility Open?

The first commercial NOR facility in Seattle opened in 2021, making it the first place in the world where families could legally and commercially choose NOR as a disposition option for a loved one. The facility offered a full-service experience: families could bring their loved one’s remains, choose what to do with the resulting soil (take it home, donate it to conservation land, or use it for planting), and receive support throughout the process.

What Is Spade’s Legacy in the NOR Industry?

Katrina Spade’s most lasting contribution is arguably the legislative model she helped create. By combining scientific research, community advocacy, consumer education, and direct legislative engagement, she built a replicable path from “interesting idea” to “legal disposition option.”

That path has now been walked in 14 states. WA, CO, OR, VT, CA, NY, NV, AZ, MD, DE, MN, ME, GA, and NJ have all passed NOR legislation — though CA, NY, and NJ are legal but not yet operational. Each of those state campaigns drew, in some form, on the framework Spade established in Washington. You can explore the current legal landscape at our state-by-state NOR guide.

The industry Spade helped launch has grown beyond any single organization — multiple NOR providers and funeral homes partnering with organizations like TerraCare Partners now offer families access to NOR across legal states, and that, arguably, was the point.

For deeper background on the broader history of how natural organic reduction developed before Spade, see our article The History of Terramation.

Did Katrina Spade invent NOR?

Spade did not invent the biology — composting is a process as old as the earth itself. What she invented was the institutional framework: the idea of a purpose-built, community-centered facility for human NOR, the research collaboration that validated the process, and the legislative advocacy model that brought NOR into law. She is widely credited as the founding figure of the modern NOR industry.

Is there only one NOR provider?

No. The first commercial NOR facility in the United States opened in Seattle in 2021, but the industry has since grown to include other providers. TerraCare Partners works with funeral homes to offer NOR in legal states. Other independent providers and funeral homes also offer the service in various states where it is legal.

Where can I learn more about Katrina Spade’s work?

Spade’s TED Talk “A Burial Practice That Nourishes the Planet” is available at ted.com. She has also been profiled extensively in major publications including The Atlantic, the Seattle Times, and the New York Times.

How many states have followed Washington’s lead?

As of April 2026, 14 states have passed NOR legislation: WA, CO, OR, VT, CA, NY, NV, AZ, MD, DE, MN, ME, GA, and NJ. Washington’s SB 5001 established the first legislative template, and most subsequent state bills have drawn on it in some form. Additional states are currently considering similar legislation.

Can I choose NOR for a loved one today?

In the 11 operationally active NOR states, yes — and in some cases through funeral homes partnering with NOR providers. CA, NY, and NJ have passed legislation but are not yet operationally active. If you are interested in exploring NOR options, TerraCare Partners can help connect you with providers.

Learn More About Terramation Options

If you are exploring natural organic reduction for yourself or a loved one, TerraCare Partners can help connect you with providers in your area. Learn more about terramation providers near you.

Ready to explore terramation options? Contact TerraCare Partners — whether you are pre-planning or making decisions for a loved one now.

Sources

  1. Katrina Spade — “A Burial Practice That Nourishes the Planet.” TED Talk, 2016. ted.com/talks/katrina_spade_when_i_die_recompose_me
  2. Washington State Legislature — SB 5001 Legislative Record (2019). https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5001&Year=2019
  3. Washington State Department of Ecology — Natural Organic Reduction Documentation. ecology.wa.gov
  4. Washington State University — NOR Research (Dr. Lynne Carpenter-Boggs). wsu.edu/news
  5. National Funeral Directors Association — 2025 Cremation & Burial Report. nfda.org/news/statistics
  6. The Atlantic — Coverage of Katrina Spade and NOR. theatlantic.com
  7. Seattle Times — Coverage of Washington NOR Legislation. seattletimes.com
  8. New York Times — Coverage of Natural Organic Reduction. nytimes.com
  9. Urban Death Project History — Washington State legislative archives and press coverage