Earth Funeral

Earth Funeral (operating as Earth Funeral Group, Inc., also referred to as Earth and Earth PBC) is a licensed funeral home specializing in "soil transformation," the process legally known as Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) and commonly called human composting. A body is washed, wrapped in a biodegradable shroud and placed in an individual vessel with organic materials such as mulch, woodchips and wildflowers; controlled temperature, moisture and oxygen conditions allow microbes to reduce the remains to roughly one cubic yard (approximately 300 pounds) of nutrient-rich soil over a period of up to 45 days. Families choose how much soil to receive for gardens, scattering or memorial spaces, and the remainder is directed to conservation land for restoration work such as reforestation and soil rehabilitation.

The company sells a single bundled "Earth Package" that includes the services of a licensed funeral director, collection and care from the place of passing, filing of paperwork and permits, the soil transformation itself, return of soil to the family, tree planting through One Tree Planted, and access to an online family portal. Arrangements can be made online in under 15 minutes, by phone through a 24/7 care team, or in person, and are offered for immediate need, imminent need (expected death within six months), or as prepaid pre-need plans. Earth Funeral holds the same state funeral licenses as traditional funeral homes and is subject to state inspection; its operators must hold a Reduction Facility Operator License from the Department of Licensing and, as of April 2024, complete the Cremation Association of North America training program.

The business is incorporated as a Delaware public benefit corporation, a structure under which the board must balance shareholder interests with stated public benefit goals — in this case reducing the environmental footprint of end-of-life care.