Gavin Newsom Signs Bill to Legalize Human Composting in California

Return Home CEO Micah Truman shows a demonstration “vessel” for the deceased, decorated with flowers and compostable mementos on top of a bed, on March 14, 2022. Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill that will make human composting a legal burial option in the state in 2027.

A human composting burial method or natural organic reduction (NOR) lets a body decompose into soil, which takes about 30 to 60 days. The soil can then be given back to the family of the deceased, much like how cremated remains are treated.