“Through human composting, we surrender not to an ending, but to a sacred return — a reunion with the earth that held us all along.”
Human body composting also called “natural organic reduction” (NOR), “terramation” or "recomposition,” is an eco-friendly method for turning a human body into soil. It’s a forward-looking alternative to burial and cremation that’s gaining attention world-wide for its lower environmental impact.
What is it?
Natural organic reduction is a controlled process that transforms a deceased human body into nutrient-rich soil through decomposition, using oxygen, microbes, moisture, and carbon-rich materials (like alfalfa, straw, and sawdust). The final product is usable soil that can be returned to the earth, used in conservation, landscaping, or memorial plantings.
Availability: Not currently available in any state of Australia. There has been various groups campaigning for laws to be changed so that NOR can become an option.
How the process works
Preparation — The body is dressed in a natural shroud then placed in a specially designed vessel. No embalming fluid is used.
Layering — The body is surrounded with a bulking carbon source (wood chips, straw, alfalfa) that helps aeration and provides food for microbes.
Active decomposition — Microbial activity (bacteria, fungi) breaks down soft tissues. The vessel system is designed to promote aerobic decomposition, controlling temperature, moisture, and airflow.
Screening— Material is screened. Metals such as medical implants are removed; large bone pieces are mechanically broke down and placed back with the remaining material.
Curing — After the active phase, the material is left to stabilize and mature into finished soil (curing), ensuring pathogens are reduced and decomposition completes.
Returning— The remaining soil is tested, then returned to the family or used for environmental projects per local regulations and family wishes.
Timeline
Typical full-cycle timelines vary by method and provider but generally range from 40 to 90 days for accelerated, controlled systems including curing. Exact times depend on temperature, materials, and system design.
What the family receives
A volume of dark, earthy soil (amount varies by system and body size).
Options often include having that soil used for a memorial tree, garden, or conservation project, or taking it home for private use.
Environmental benefits
Lower carbon footprint than fire cremation
Less land use than conventional burial with less permanent land taken up at gravesites and mausoleum vaults
Soil regeneration — returns nutrients to the earth and can support plant life.
Avoids embalming chemicals entering the ground.
Who it’s suitable for
Many families choose this for environmental reasons or a desire to “become part of the Earth” in a literal sense. It’s generally available for people who haven’t been embalmed, and providers will have policies about recent surgeries, implants, infectious disease, and legal/medical requirements.
Practical & legal considerations
Availability: Not currently available in any state of Australia. There has been various groups campaigning for laws to be changed so that NOR can become an option.
Religious/cultural fit: Responses vary among faiths and cultures.
Costs: Can be comparable to or less than traditional burial and cremation depending on provider and services chosen.
Safety & oversight
Reputable providers follow strict health and environmental controls (temperature monitoring, aeration, pathogen reduction steps). If you’re arranging this, ask providers about their protocols, licensing, and whether they screen/sterilise the final soil.
Environmental benefits
Lower carbon footprint than fire-based cremation
Less land use than conventional burial with no permanent land taken up or mausoleum vaults.
Soil regeneration — returns nutrients to the earth and can support plant life.
Avoids embalming chemicals entering the ground.
Difference between Cremation Ash and NOR material
Cremation Ash (Cremains)
What it is:
Ground mineral fragments of bone after fire cremation (or alkaline hydrolysis).Composition:
Mostly calcium phosphates, sodium, potassium salts.
No organic matter.
Highly alkaline (pH 11–12).
Effect on soil/garden:
Can make soil too alkaline, harming plant roots if used in large amounts.
Doesn’t decompose further or “feed” the soil.
Must be diluted, scattered thinly, or mixed with compost to avoid plant damage.
Symbolism:
Often scattered in meaningful places, kept in urns, or divided among family.
Represents a “return” to earth more in ritual than in soil ecology.
Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) Material
What it is:
Finished soil created by controlled aerobic decomposition of a human body with plant matter (wood chips, straw, alfalfa).Composition:
Rich in organic matter (humus).
Balanced nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, carbon.
Stable, earthy, biologically active soil.
Effect on soil/garden:
Functions like compost — improves soil structure, feeds plants, holds water.
Safe for planting trees, flowers, or restoration projects.
Blends naturally with existing soil.
Symbolism:
A true transformation into new life — “becoming soil.”
Families can see immediate ecological renewal (e.g., planting a tree in the soil).
Current body disposition options in WA
General trend in WA
In Western Australia overall, about 70–75% of dispositions are cremations and 25–30% are burials.
Perth metro is at the higher end for cremations (closer to 75–80%), with regional areas having a higher burial rate.
Total numbers vary year to year. Perth metro 11,873 cremations in the 23-24 financial year.
How cremation works in WA
WA’s crematoriums (Karrakatta, Fremantle, Pinnaroo, Rockingham, Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie) all use gas-fired cremators.
A single cremation usually takes 70–120 minutes at very high temperatures (around 850–1,000°C).
This requires a large amount of natural gas and produces emissions.
Environmental Impacts
1. Greenhouse gas emissions
Each cremation releases an estimated 160–250 kg of CO₂ into the atmosphere (varies by body size, coffin type, and equipment efficiency).
2. Air pollutants
Cremators emit trace amounts of nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, particulates, and heavy metals.
3. Energy consumption
Natural Gas is the main fuel — cremation is very energy intensive compared to natural decomposition.
Roughly equivalent to driving a car 800–1,000 km per cremation.
4. Resource impacts
Cremation destroys organic material rather than returning it to soil.
How burial works in WA
Most burials in WA are in public cemeteries managed by the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board (MCB) or regional councils.
Burials often involve: a coffin (wood, MDF, or metal fittings), a concrete/stone grave liner or vault, embalming (sometimes), and ongoing land care (watering, mowing, herbicides).
Environmental Impacts of Burial
1. Land use
Cemeteries require large, permanent land reserves.
In Perth metro, land scarcity is becoming a big issue — Karrakatta Cemetery has already been redeveloping older graves to make space.
Land is maintained for gravesite purposes and cannot be repurposed
2. Materials & resources
Coffins: MDF coffins (common in WA) release formaldehyde-based adhesives into soil as they break down. Hardwood coffins involve deforestation and high energy in manufacturing.
Vaults/liners: Concrete production is highly carbon intensive (cement industry is responsible for ~8% of global CO₂ emissions).
Headstones: Granite and marble are quarried overseas, shipped long distances, with high embodied energy.
3. Chemicals
Embalming (optional for burial in WA) introduces formaldehyde, methanol, and phenol into the ground. Over time, these leach into soils.
Non-embalmed bodies are more natural but still release nutrients and decomposition fluids in concentrated areas.
4. Maintenance footprint
Cemeteries are heavily maintained:
Watering lawns (especially in Perth’s dry climate).
Fuel and chemical inputs (mowers, fertilisers, pesticides).
Lighting and infrastructure in some memorial parks.
5. Carbon footprint
Burials avoid the direct emissions of cremation, but the embodied carbon of coffins, vaults, and land development is significant.
Over time, each burial plot carries a high environmental “opportunity cost” due to permanent land allocation.
How can Western Australian’s have the option for NOR
1. Legislative Change
Right now, WA law only recognises burial and cremation as lawful methods of final disposition.
The Cemeteries Act 1986 (WA) and associated regulations would need to be amended to legally define NOR as an approved form of human remains disposition.
This is exactly what happened in the U.S. states (like Washington and Oregon) and in British Columbia, Canada — they added NOR to their funeral/health acts.
2. Public Health Approval
NOR needs to be proven safe for:
Pathogen reduction (ensuring diseases like prions or bacteria don’t persist).
Heavy metal handling (removal of pacemakers, implants, mercury dental fillings).
Air quality and odour control (closed vessels, controlled systems).
WA’s Department of Health would require clear scientific evidence and international precedents — much of which already exists.
3. Environmental Licensing
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) would oversee:
Safe handling of organic material.
Testing the final soil product to ensure it meets safety standards.
Rules around what families can do with the soil (take it home, use in conservation projects, or inter in cemeteries).
4. Industry Standards & Training
Funeral directors and cemetery boards would need:
Professional training in offering and explaining NOR.
Facilities — purpose-built vessels or systems (similar to composting units, with aeration, temperature monitoring, filtration).
Oversight bodies to license operators
5. Community & Cultural Consultation
WA’s multicultural and multi-faith communities would need to be part of the discussion. Some traditions may embrace it, while others may object.
Engagement with Aboriginal elders would be crucial to understand cultural perspectives on returning to country in this way.
6. Pilot Project in WA
The most practical way forward would be:
A trial project
Using international NOR providers (like Recompose, Return Home) as technical advisors.
Transparent reporting on environmental benefits, costs, and family experiences.
In summary
To allow NOR in WA, we would need:
Legislation change – add NOR to legal dispositions.
Health & safety approval – pathogen, odour, and soil testing.
Environmental licensing – rules for soil handling and return.
Industry preparation – trained operators, infrastructure.
Community consultation – cultural and faith input.
Pilot project – to build trust and evidence locally.
Summary:
Introducing Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) in Western Australia would provide families with a sustainable, meaningful alternative to burial and cremation. To make NOR available, legislative change to the Cemeteries Act, public health approval, and environmental licensing will be essential, alongside training for industry professionals and open consultation with cultural and faith communities. A pilot program within a metropolitan cemetery could demonstrate the safety, dignity, and ecological benefits of this practice, using evidence from jurisdictions where it is already established. With clear regulation and community support, NOR could become a forward-thinking option that honours the deceased while caring for country and future generations.
