Human composting, water cremation, green burial, and burial at sea are all legal disposition options in a growing number of states, alongside traditional burial and cremation. State law determines which options are available where you live, so stating your preference in your will or a separate letter of instruction is what actually ensures your wishes are followed.
Human Composting
Human composting, also called natural organic reduction, turns a body into nutrient-rich soil over several weeks. According to Recompose, a Seattle-based provider, the body is placed into a vessel with materials like wood chips, alfalfa, and straw, and naturally occurring microbes power the transformation into soil, which can be returned to loved ones or donated to conservation land. People choose this option for several reasons. Traditional embalming fluid contains chemicals that the New York Times has reported pose a cancer risk to the embalmers who work with them, and some people prefer an option with a smaller environmental footprint than conventional burial or cremation.
Human composting is legal in a growing list of states, including Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, California, New York, and several others that have adopted similar legislation more recently. Coverage of which states allow it changes as more legislatures act, so confirm the current list for your state before assuming it is available.
Green Burial
Green burial involves burying the body in a biodegradable casket or shroud, without embalming, so it decomposes naturally and becomes part of the soil. Unlike human composting, green burial is legal in all 50 states, though not every cemetery offers it, so you may need to identify a specific cemetery that accommodates the practice.
Water Cremation
Water cremation, also called alkaline hydrolysis, uses water and chemicals to break down the body, producing a liquid byproduct that is safely processed and a powdery substance returned to the family, similar to cremated remains. According to the Cremation Association of North America, more than half of U.S. states now permit alkaline hydrolysis, a significant increase from just a handful of states a decade ago. Proponents note it uses meaningfully less energy and produces fewer emissions than flame-based cremation.
Tree Pod Burial
Tree pod burial places the body in a biodegradable pod that is buried directly beneath a young tree. As the body decays, it releases nutrients that help the tree grow. Rules governing this option vary by state and often overlap with each state's green burial regulations, so check local requirements, including whether a funeral director must be involved and whether a private-property burial is permitted.
Burial at Sea
Burial at sea is generally legal throughout the United States and is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency rather than by individual states. The EPA issues a general permit authorizing this practice, with requirements that include depositing remains at least three nautical miles from land in ocean waters of a minimum depth. Anyone with access to a boat and willingness to follow the permit's requirements can generally arrange a sea burial without needing a specialized provider.
Space Burial
Sending cremated remains into space is legal in the United States, though it requires working with a company that specializes in memorial spaceflight and complying with Federal Aviation Administration requirements. This option is significantly costlier than other alternatives and involves a smaller number of specialized providers than the options above.
Body Donation to Science
Donating your body to a research institution or medical school is another legal option, typically arranged in advance directly with the receiving institution. Each program sets its own eligibility requirements, such as the body being clear of certain infectious diseases, so confirm the specific program's requirements ahead of time rather than assuming any institution will accept a donation.
For a broader survey of both traditional and lesser-known options, see our companion guide on alternative burial options, and for some of the more unusual requests people have actually made, see the world's strangest burial requests.
A Worked Example
Say you want a green burial, but your family assumes you want a traditional funeral because you never wrote anything down. Without a clear statement of your wishes, funeral decisions often default to whatever the family is most familiar with, which may not reflect what you actually wanted. Writing your preference into your will, or a separate letter of instruction kept with your estate planning documents, is what actually gives your family the information and confidence to follow through on an option like green burial or human composting instead of defaulting to convention.
How to Document Your Wishes
- Research what is legal in your state. Availability for options like human composting and water cremation varies and changes as more states adopt legislation.
- Identify a provider. Not every funeral home offers every option, so confirm availability before assuming a specific choice is possible where you live.
- Write your preference down clearly. Include it in your will or a separate letter of instruction, and tell your executor or a family member where to find it.
- Revisit the decision periodically. Laws and available providers change, so confirm your preferred option is still available every so often.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is human composting legal everywhere in the United States?
No. It is legal in a growing but still limited list of states, so confirm current availability in your specific state.
Does green burial cost less than traditional burial?
Green burial typically skips embalming and an elaborate casket, which can reduce some expenses, though costs vary by provider and cemetery.
Can I arrange a burial at sea without a funeral home?
Yes, generally, as long as you follow the EPA's general permit requirements for distance from shore and water depth.
Should my burial preference go in my will or a separate document?
Either can work, but a separate letter of instruction is often faster for your family to access than waiting on a formal will reading, so consider using both.
What happens if I do not state a preference at all?
Your family or executor will decide based on convention and their own judgment, which may not reflect what you would have actually chosen.
Whatever option you choose, write it down where your family can find it. Start with FastWill's online will builder to record your wishes alongside the rest of your estate plan.
