Natural Organic Reduction vs. Green Burial: What's the Difference? (colloquially referred to as human composting)

Deciding how to care for a loved one — or planning for yourself — is one of the more meaningful choices a person can make. If you’re drawn to options that are gentle on the earth, two paths tend to come up side by side: terramation (also called natural organic reduction, or NOR) and green burial (also called natural burial). Both avoid embalming chemicals and concrete vaults. Both return the body to the earth. But they work differently, produce different outcomes for families, and aren’t equally available everywhere. This guide walks through both options honestly so you can decide which fits your family’s values, location, and needs.

What is the difference between terramation (human composting) and green burial?

Terramation transforms the body into approximately one-half cubic yard of nutrient-rich soil over 60–90 days using a vessel and organic materials — families receive living soil to use, scatter, or share. Green burial places the unembalmed body in a biodegradable container directly in the earth to decompose naturally over months to years — families receive a visitable gravesite. Both are among the most eco-friendly options available; green burial is legal everywhere while NOR is legal in 14 states.

Terramation gives families living soil to plant, scatter, or share — green burial gives families a specific, visitable gravesite; these are genuinely different kinds of memorial connection, not just process differences.
Both avoid embalming chemicals, concrete vaults, and fossil fuel combustion — making them two of the lowest-carbon disposition options available, with NOR offering a slight edge in nutrient return speed.
Green burial is legal in all 50 states; terramation is legal in 14 states — availability may be the deciding practical factor for families outside those 14 states.
Green burial typically costs $1,000–$4,000 (burial fees plus biodegradable container) and can be one of the most affordable options; terramation costs $4,950–$10,000 all-inclusive.
Conservation burial grounds use burial fees to permanently protect land from development — a unique ecological benefit of green burial that terramation does not replicate.

The Short Answer

Terramation (natural organic reduction) transforms the body into nutrient-rich soil over several weeks to a few months using a vessel and organic materials. Families receive approximately 1/2 cubic yard of soil to use, scatter, or donate. It is currently legal in 14 states.

Green burial places the body — unembalmed, in a biodegradable container or shroud — directly in the earth to decompose naturally over months to years. Families receive a gravesite to visit. It is legal in all 50 states.

Both are among the most environmentally responsible choices available. The right one depends on what matters most to you.

How Each Process Works

Natural Organic Reduction (Natural Organic Reduction)

Natural organic reduction — NOR — is the formal term for what many people call terramation or body composting. It is the newest legally recognized disposition method in the United States, authorized by Washington State in 2019 and now legal in 14 states.

The process begins when the body is placed in a specially designed vessel along with organic materials: typically wood chips, straw, and alfalfa. These materials create the conditions for natural microbial activity to begin. The vessel is gently rotated over time to ensure the process proceeds evenly. Warmth, moisture, and oxygen do the rest — the same biological processes that break down plant matter in a compost pile, adapted for a controlled and dignified setting.

The process takes several weeks to a few months, depending on the system used by the provider. [1] At the end, the resulting material — called Regenerative Living Soil™ — is carefully screened and prepared for the family.

There is no embalming, no cremation flame, and no concrete vault. The process is biological from start to finish.

For a more detailed walkthrough of what happens during NOR, see our complete guide to natural organic reduction.

Green Burial (Natural Burial)

Green burial is, in many ways, the oldest form of human disposition on earth — and the Green Burial Council has given it a modern, standardized definition. A green burial means no embalming, no concrete vault, and a biodegradable container: a simple wooden casket, a wicker or willow coffin, or a plain cotton or linen shroud. The body is placed directly in the earth at a certified green burial ground or a hybrid cemetery that allows natural burials. [2]

Nature takes it from there. Decomposition occurs naturally over months to years, depending on the soil, climate, and burial depth. The body becomes part of the surrounding ecosystem — nourishing soil organisms, nearby roots, and the landscape above.

Some green cemeteries are conservation burial grounds, where burial fees fund permanent land protection. Others are natural areas within or adjacent to conventional cemeteries. Either way, the ecological footprint is extremely low.

What Families Receive

This is one of the most meaningful practical differences between the two options.

After natural organic reduction, families receive approximately 1/2 cubic yard — of Regenerative Living Soil. [3] This is nutrient-rich, finished soil that can be used in a home garden, spread under a memorial tree, scattered in a meaningful landscape, or donated to conservation land. Many families divide the soil so that multiple people — children, siblings, close friends — can each receive a portion and use it in a place that held meaning for the person who died.

The soil is a tangible, living way to remain connected to someone you loved. It does not sit in an urn on a shelf; it participates in new life.

After a green burial, families receive a gravesite — a specific, visitable place in the earth where their loved one rests. For many families, this is exactly what they want: a location to return to, tend to, and gather at during anniversaries and difficult days. The gravesite is part of a natural landscape, often more beautiful and alive than a conventional cemetery. In a conservation burial ground, visiting that site also means visiting protected land that will remain wild for generations.

Neither outcome is more meaningful than the other. They speak to different kinds of grief and connection, and it is worth thinking honestly about which one would serve your family best.

Environmental Impact

Both natural organic reduction and green burial are among the most environmentally responsible disposition choices available. The differences are more in kind than in degree.

Natural organic reduction produces approximately half a ton less carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) than flame cremation, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology. [4] It uses no embalming chemicals, no fossil fuels for combustion, and no concrete. The soil it produces actively returns nutrients to the earth in a form that plants and soil organisms can use within weeks, rather than over the years it takes a buried body to decompose.

Green burial also avoids embalming chemicals and concrete. A body buried in a shroud or simple wooden container in healthy soil will decompose naturally, returning its nutrients to the surrounding ecosystem over time. Conservation burial grounds take this a step further, using burial fees to protect land from development permanently — so choosing green burial can directly contribute to land preservation in your region.

If you are weighing carbon footprint specifically, NOR has a slight edge because the accelerated microbial process returns nutrients quickly without the extended decomposition timeline. But green burial’s environmental profile is genuinely excellent, and for families who value the simplicity of returning directly to the earth with no processing step at all, that simplicity carries its own ecological and spiritual logic.

For a broader comparison of how these options stack up against cremation and conventional burial, see our article on green funeral options comparison.

Cost

Cost varies by provider and region for both options, but some general ranges are publicly available.

Natural organic reduction currently ranges from approximately $4,950 to $10,000 based on publicly published provider pricing. These figures include the full process and return of soil. There is no cemetery plot cost, no ongoing maintenance fee, and no headstone to purchase.

Green burial costs vary more widely depending on the cemetery, the container, and what funeral home services are involved. Burial fees at natural cemeteries can range from approximately $1,000 to $4,000, and a simple biodegradable container (shroud or plain wooden casket) adds to that cost. In some cases, a green burial can be among the least expensive full-disposition options available — comparable to direct cremation when planned carefully.

One important cost consideration: green burial requires a burial plot at a cemetery that allows it, and those cemeteries are not evenly distributed across the country. If your nearest certified green burial ground is far from where your family lives, transportation costs may apply. The same is true for NOR in states where it is legal — some families transport a loved one to a neighboring state for NOR services.

Availability

Green burial is legal in all 50 states. The Green Burial Council certifies burial grounds and maintains a searchable provider directory. [2] Availability of certified natural cemeteries is still growing, but a green burial option exists in virtually every region of the country.

Terramation (NOR) is legal in 14 states as of 2026: Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, California, New York, Nevada, Arizona, Maryland, Delaware, Minnesota, Maine, Georgia, and New Jersey. [7] Three of these states are legal but not yet fully operational: California (operational January 1, 2027), New Jersey (estimated operational approximately July 2026), and New York (regulations still being finalized). Families in states where NOR is not yet legal can sometimes arrange transportation to a provider in a neighboring state — a conversation worth having with a funeral director.

For current legal status by state, visit our guide to states where NOR is currently legal.

Which Option Might Be Right for Your Family?

There is no universal answer here, and we mean that sincerely. Both options are genuinely good choices for environmentally motivated families. Here are the questions that tend to help families find clarity:

Do you want a specific place to visit? If having a gravesite — a place to bring flowers, sit with grief, or gather with family on anniversaries — feels important, green burial provides that. NOR does not. The soil from NOR can be used in a meaningful place, but it does not create a dedicated gravesite.

Do you want something tangible to take home? If receiving something from the process — soil to plant with, to scatter, to share with multiple family members in multiple places — matters to you, NOR offers that. Green burial does not return remains to the family.

Where do you live? If you are in one of the 14 states where NOR is legal and operational, both options may genuinely be available to you. If you are elsewhere, green burial is likely the more accessible eco-friendly choice.

Does your faith tradition have a view? Green burial aligns comfortably with traditions that emphasize returning the body to the earth as it is — it is the more ancient practice. NOR is newer, and faith communities are still developing positions on it. If religious guidance matters to your family, that is worth exploring before deciding. Our article on terramation compared to traditional burial options addresses some of these cultural considerations.

What is your budget? Green burial can be more affordable than NOR, particularly at a simple natural cemetery. If cost is a significant factor, it is worth getting specific quotes from providers in your area.

For families who are specifically weighing NOR against cremation — rather than against green burial — our article on terramation versus cremation may be more useful.

Side-by-Side Summary

	Terramation (NOR)	Green Burial
Process	Vessel with organic materials; microbial transformation over weeks to months	Body in biodegradable container, buried directly in earth
Duration	Several weeks to a few months	Months to years (natural decomposition)
What family receives	one-half cubic yard of soil to use or scatter	A gravesite to visit
Embalming required	No	No
Environmental impact	Very low; ~½ ton less CO2e than cremation	Very low; supports surrounding ecosystem
Availability	14 states (3 not yet operational)	All 50 states
Typical cost range	~$4,950–$10,000+	~$1,000–$4,000+ (varies widely)

Ready to explore terramation options? Contact TerraCare Partners

Find a funeral home offering terramation in your state

Sources

Washington State Department of Ecology. “Natural Organic Reduction Rules and Guidance.” ecology.wa.gov. https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=246-500
Green Burial Council. “What Is Green Burial?” greenburialcouncil.org. https://www.greenburialcouncil.org/
Washington State Department of Ecology. “Natural Organic Reduction: Environmental Review and Rulemaking Documentation.” Ecology.wa.gov. https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=246-500
National Conference of State Legislatures / State Agency Records. NOR legal status by state, current as of April 2026. See also: https://ecology.wa.gov
Green Burial Council. “Provider Standards and Cemetery Certification.” greenburialcouncil.org. https://www.greenburialcouncil.org/
Keijzer, E. and Zwart, M.H. “The environmental impact of funerals: comparative life cycle analysis.” International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2012.
National Funeral Directors Association. “2025 NFDA Cremation & Burial Report.” nfda.org. https://nfda.org/news/statistics