Our Natural Organic Renewal (NOR) system is a science-based, environmentally responsible alternative to burial and cremation.
It uses natural biological processes to transform the human body into soil in a carefully managed, oxygen-rich environment. As interest in climate-responsible end-of-life options grows, many people are seeking clear, factual information about how human composting works and what it means for families, communities, and the environment.
What is Human Composting?
Human composting, formally known as Natural Organic Reduction, is the legal and scientific foundation behind Wend & Root’s Natural Organic Renewal™ approach. Our process builds on well-established composting science within a controlled, aerobic environment that supports microbial activity while advancing environmental accountability, operational efficiency, and public health standards.
Unlike burial or cremation, human composting does not rely on long-term land use, embalming chemicals, or fossil fuel combustion. Instead, it allows the body to return to the earth as soil, reflecting a closed-loop approach to deathcare rooted in ecology and accountability.
Wend & Root is a Maine-based company developing next-generation, closed-loop human composting technology. We are currently in a research and development phase and do not yet offer funeral services.
Natural Organic Reduction is grounded in the same biological processes that operate in healthy soils and forest ecosystems. When organic material decomposes in the presence of oxygen, naturally occurring microbes break it down, generating heat and transforming complex matter into stable soil.
In a human composting system, these processes are carefully managed to ensure consistency, safety, and environmental protection. Temperature, oxygen, and moisture are continuously monitored so that decomposition occurs efficiently while neutralizing pathogens and preventing harmful emissions.
This scientific foundation is what distinguishes NOR from unmanaged decomposition and allows it to meet regulatory and public health standards.
Natural Organic Reduction: The Science
Is Natural Organic Reduction Legal?
NOR is now legal in a growing number of U.S. states. Maine legalized human composting in 2024, becoming the 12th state to formally authorize this method of disposition under state law. Since Washington first legalized the practice in 2019, additional states have followed by establishing regulatory frameworks for its use.
As of March 2026, states where human composting is legal include Washington, Oregon, Vermont, Colorado, California (with regulations phased in over time), New York, Arizona, Nevada, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Maine, and New Jersey. Each state sets requirements related to system design, temperature standards, handling of remains, and the permitted use or return of the resulting soil.
Legislation continues to emerge across the country as awareness grows, and additional states are actively introducing or considering bills that would allow natural organic reduction in the coming years.
Human Composting vs Burial and Cremation
Conventional deathcare methods carry environmental and infrastructural impacts that many families are now reconsidering. Human composting offers a fundamentally different approach.
Requires permanent land use
Often involves embalming chemicals
Commonly uses concrete vaults or grave liners along with hardwood or metal caskets
Relies on single-use materials that are buried or sealed in place, contributing to long-term material waste
Traditional Burial
Relies on fossil fuels
Produces carbon dioxide and other air pollutants
Can release mercury from dental amalgam fillings when exposed to cremation temperatures
Cremation
Minimal permanent land use
No embalming chemicals
No combustion
Returns nutrients to soil
Significantly lowers carbon footprint
Human Composting
Natural Organic Reduction in Maine
Wend & Root is committed to ensuring that as NOR becomes established in Maine, it is implemented thoughtfully, transparently, and with rigorous environmental and public health safeguards. This commitment is reflected in our Natural Organic Renewal™ approach, which builds on the science of NOR through climate-accountable systems design, environmental safeguards, and family-centered legacy pathways rooted in Maine values.
Connect With Us
We welcome conversations with funeral partners, researchers, investors, journalists, and community members interested in climate-responsible deathcare.