Natural organic reduction, sometimes referred to as human composting, is the process of controlled supervised decomposition of a human body resulting in the conversion of human remains into a soil-like product.
This process occurs by a licensed funeral director placing the body in a special vessel with organic materials housed within a registered mortuary that causes microbial activity to quickly and efficiently break down the body into a nutrient-rich soil product. The process usually takes eight to 12 weeks.
Consumers are choosing this process for many reasons such as lower costs, shifting religious views and growing environmental awareness.
The process itself is not final disposition as it yields a cubic yard of soil-like product that must then be placed in a cemetery, donated toward environmental efforts or returned to the next of kin.
The bill legalizing NOR in New Jersey was signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy on September 11, 2025, making New Jersey one of more than a dozen states to legalize the process. The law is currently pending the drafting of regulations and will go into effect July 2026.