ELKRIDGE, Md. — Dying doesn’t have to come at an extra cost to the environment or your wallet, with a new kind of green alternative to cremation that's now more accessible than ever on the East Coast.
Earth Funeral offers what’s called “natural organic reduction,” or as it’s known more commonly, “human composting”, in a process that turns remains into soil. It takes about 30 days and requires no harsh chemicals or fossil fuel usage.
“Prior to Earth, we were in the traditional funeral industry, and one of the questions that we got frequently was ‘How can I become a tree with my cremated remains?’ And the short answer is, you can’t,” CEO and co-founder Tom Harries explained.
Eco-friendly deathcare is now more accessible with first human composting facility open on the East Coast
The company has planted roots in Washington state, Nevada and now Maryland at a new facility in Elkridge.
There remains will combine with organic mulch, wood chips and wild flowers, which are then placed into a large custom vessel that slowly turns over time, while conditions are monitored with proprietary sensors.
In about a month, the remains are turned into 300 pounds of soil, which can be returned to loved ones, donated to conservation projects or both.
“This is what would happen on the forest floor. We're just accelerating that process through science and technology,” Harries said.
The company held its first tour of the facility on Wednesday. It’s the first of its kind on the East Coast and the largest in the world at 37,000 square feet and able to process up to 2,000 remains per year.
An In Focus look at green burials in Maryland
Families that have used their services previously, and had to fly remains out to the West Coast, were able to visualize what the process looks like up close for the first time.
Steve Spiese lost his wife, Peggy, last December.
“To be laid in that rich soil, surrounded by wild flowers. I can’t think of a thing that she would have wanted more than that,” Spiese said.
He used the soil he received to plant a butterfly bush in her honor. He’s considering the service also for his end-of-life plans.
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust let’s put the dust back in the ground to help other things grow,” he said.
“From a business perspective, it’s really well located in terms of its accessibility but also Howard County is already a leader in so many environmental issues and so this really fit well,” said Delegate Jessica Feldmark, who represents Howard and Montgomery counties in District 12A.
Feldmark’s father, Michael Mark, was an environmental activist and died last year after a battle with Parkinson's. They used Earth’s services to honor his last wishes.
“I think he’d wish it had been done a little sooner, but I think he’d be thrilled to see the availability expanding and the popularity growing,” Feldman said.
Not only is it greener, but it’s also cost-effective, at $5,000 to $6,000, versus a traditional burial that can cost upwards of $10,000.
Something that may make it even easier to rest in peace when the time comes.