New Jersey legalises human composting as an eco-friendly burial alternative

Tasleem Gierdien

Tasleem Gierdien

22 September 2025 | 12:58

The process transforms a body into nutrient-rich soil over a 45-day period, offering families a sustainable way to honor their loved ones.

New Jersey legalises human composting as an eco-friendly burial alternative

New Jersey has legalised human composting, also known as natural organic reduction becoming the 14th state to allow the eco-friendly alternative to traditional burial or cremation.

Earth Funeral, a Washington-based company at the forefront of the movement since that state became the first to legalise it in 2019, describes the process as one in which a body is "gently transformed into nutrient-rich soil" that families can use to nourish plants or scatter like ashes.

The process transforms a body into nutrient-rich soilover a 45-day period, offering families a sustainable way to honor their loved ones.

The initiative comes after a growing demand for greener end-of-life options, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, which claimed over a million lives across the U.S. Interest in human composting has surged, with some New Jersey residents previously transporting bodies out of state to access the service where it was already legal.

With the new legislation in place, funeral homes and related facilities in New Jersey will be able to provide human composting locally within the next 10 months, removing the need for out-of-state arrangements.

The New Jersey Funeral Directors Association played a key role in shaping the bill, working closely with lawmakers to meet the rising interest from residents.

While the process takes significantly longer han cremation, about 45 days, it offers a meaningful and environmentally conscious alternative.

"Food for the soil, I guess," says Friedman.

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