Discover the Green Alternative to Cremation or Burial

Human composting is the transformation of a human body into soil. Recompose places each body into a stainless steel vessel along with wood chips, alfalfa, and straw. Microbes that naturally occur on the plant material and on and in our bodies power the transformation into soil.

Over the next five to seven weeks, the body inside the vessel breaks down thanks to the natural action of the microbes. The soil is then removed from the vessel, screened for non-organic items such as hip replacements or stents, and allowed to cure for an additional three to five weeks.

Once the process is complete, the soil can be used on trees and plants, or donated to conservation efforts. Each body creates about one cubic yard of soil.

Watch Recompose Founder and CEO, Katrina Spade, describe how human composting works during her 2023 talk at the End Well Conference.

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Learn more about the steps involved in the human composting process.

The human composting process generally takes between two to three months. Our staff communicate timing and key moments throughout the process. Each body spends about five to seven weeks in a vessel, then the soil is transferred to an aerated bin to cure for an additional three to five weeks.

Recompose follows all compost-testing regulations put forth by the Washington State Department of Licensing and the Board of Health. The pH range of Recompose compost is usually between 6.5 and 7, which is ideal for most plants. Learn more about the composition of Recompose soil here.

Watch Recompose Founder and CEO, Katrina Spade, describe timing in the human composting process during her 2023 talk at the End Well Conference.

Explore More

Learn more about the steps involved in the human composting process.

Our work is rooted in nature, with innovation and sustainability at the core of our operations. In 2011, our founder, Katrina Spade, began developing a scalable, ecological urban alternative to conventional burial and cremation. After successfully leading grassroots legislation efforts to legalize human composting in Washington State in 2019, Recompose became the first facility in the world to offer this service.

Our process saves over a metric ton of carbon emissions per person compared to conventional death care, while creating nutrient-rich soil that supports new life. But sustainability at Recompose goes far beyond environmental impact.

We approach sustainability holistically, recognizing that long-term environmental health is inseparable from social equity and economic viability. Every decision we make prioritizes lasting impact over short-term gain.

Some examples of our commitment to sustainability

• The Recompose Land Program partners with carefully selected nonprofit organizations working to reverse habitat and biodiversity loss, giving Recompose clients the option to donate soil and contribute to the greater good. 
• Durable composting vessels, made from stainless steel in the U.S. and designed to last over 70 years.
• The Recompose Community Fund helps make human composting accessible to those who may not otherwise afford it.
• Responsible material handling, including screening soil for non-organic matter and recycling metals that families choose not to keep.

Dig Deeper

On the KCTS 9 Cascade PBS show, Human Elements, Katrina talks about the origin of her idea to develop human composting and shares how the Recompose process works.

When you are ready, Recompose will arrange transport of your loved one into our care. Transportation arrangements to Recompose are dependent on location.

Within Washington and the Portland Metro Area

At the time of death, our Services team will coordinate transportation and logistics to bring your person from the place of death into our care at Recompose.

• If your person dies in a hospital or care facility, you can let the staff know that Recompose is your funeral home of choice, and they will notify us on your behalf.
• If your person dies at home, contact us when you are ready, and we will arrange for them to be safely brought into our care.

Transportation to Recompose is complimentary from anywhere within our service area.

Outside Our Service Area

Many Recompose clients come to us from out of state, and our team has extensive experience guiding families through the process. If you live outside Washington or the Portland metro area, we’ll coordinate with our transportation partners or a local funeral home of your choosing to ensure your person is safely brought into our care.

Transportation costs from outside our service area are determined and billed by our transportation partners or the local funeral home you choose to work with.

No. There can be a significant difference in the quality of soil produced from human composting. Soil quality directly impacts its ability to support healthy plant growth and overall soil health. Factors such as nutrient availability, pH balance, and microbial stability all contribute to its effectiveness.

Recompose is proud to pioneer this field and lead the way in producing high-quality, nutrient-rich soil. In 2015, Recompose founder, Katrina Spade, worked with Western Carolina University Professor Cheryl Johnston to test the human composting concept and completed the process on a human body for the first time. In 2018, we partnered with Washington State University’s Soil Science Department to ensure our process is safe and effective (see the research overview here). 

Since then, we’ve spent countless hours perfecting our system and our carefully calibrated recipe of plant materials tailored to each individual to ensure the process yields exceptional results. Every step of the Recompose process is carefully managed and monitored to produce a balanced, stable, and plant-ready soil.

Key benefits of our soil include

• Ideal pH between 6.5 and 7—perfect for most plants
• Balanced macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur) to support healthy growth
• Moderate electrical conductivity, indicating a steady presence of plant-available nutrients
• High nitrate levels and a “Very Stable” microbial respiration rate, signaling advanced decomposition and soil maturity
• Comprehensive testing in compliance with Washington State regulations ensures safety and consistency

Recompose has spent countless hours perfecting our system and our carefully calibrated recipe of plant materials tailored to each individual to ensure the process yields exceptional results.

In 2011, Recompose Founder & CEO, Katrina Spade, started thinking about the environmental impact of conventional burial and cremation during her Master of Architecture program at University of Massachusetts Amherst.

In 2012, during her second year of grad school, Katrina built a compost heating system with friends Garth and Jesse, demonstrating the incredible power of microbes in what could be considered a prototype of a prototype.

In 2014, Katrina founded the nonprofit Urban Death Project. Experts in soil science, engineering, and project management helped develop the initial human composting system.

In 2015, Katrina worked with Western Carolina University Professor Cheryl Johnston to test the human composting concept with the Department of Forensic Anthropology. Through WCU’s Forensic Osteology Research Station, Dr. Johnston and Katrina completed the process on a human body for the first time.

In 2018, Dr. Lynne Carpenter-Boggs of Washington State University joined forces with Katrina to complete a study with six donor bodies. The study successfully proved the process eliminates pathogens and heavy metals to well under EPA-recommended levels.

Recompose can ship soil to most locations in the U.S. However, due to the variety of regulations involved, Recompose does not ship soil internationally.

Recompose packages soil in paper bags that hold about 12 gallons each. These sealed bags are similar to the size of the compost or potting soil bags you find at the garden store. On average, each person produces between 25-40 bags of soil, weighing about 20 pounds each. Any amount of soil can be ordered in our standard packaging, which is included in our price.

Note: the cost of shipping soil is not included. Shipping costs vary by package quantity, dimensions, and weight.

Our article How to Consider Your Soil Options is a useful resource when deciding how much soil to pick up, ship, or donate. Our Services Team is available to discuss your options. Please contact us at services@recompose.life or by calling (206) 800-8733.

Recompose partners with conservation organizations, so you can choose to donate some, or all, of the soil to nourish and revitalize the land.

Through the Recompose Land Program, you have the opportunity to donate soil to help restore and revitalize land stewarded by nonprofit conservation organizations. Our Land Partners protect and regenerate ecosystems through conservation, rewilding, and other restoration practices.

Read our article How to Consider Your Soil Options for more information.

Many Recompose clients choose to donate some soil to the Land Program and take a portion to share with friends and family to use on gardens, on house plants, and scatter across favorite places.

Through the Recompose Land Program, we partner with nonprofit organizations to protect and regenerate ecosystems through conservation, rewilding, and other restoration practices. These Land Partners receive soil donated from Recompose clients to use in projects that benefit the land they steward.

Our Land Partners focus on ecologically significant areas across diverse, protected landscapes like forests, prairie grasslands, and wetland areas. Some of the many species that are supported through soil donation include:

• Elk
• Beaver
• River otter
• Black-tailed deer
• Juvenile salmonids

Recompose is proud to support this work to allow nature to flourish again. 

Clients who choose to donate soil through the Land Program have shared that they connect with the concept of returning to the natural environment as a whole rather than to a single location—instead of becoming a tree, they become part of the forest.

Recompose and our Land Partners share a common interest in connecting the human experience with the natural environment, and recognize the use of soil from human composting as a way to strengthen this connection.