Touring a deathcare facility isn’t top of the list on everyone’s agenda. I get it. But for those who understand that we will all face the end of our time here on earth, are willing to examine what that means, and want to impact the environment positively, I highly recommend touring Recompose in Seattle. Today I was fortunate enough to be able to take that tour with roughly twenty other people interested in the facility and what they do there.

Knowing your options beforehand allows greater peace for yourself, knowing that you have a plan and have made your arrangements ahead of time–it’s never too early to sort this out. And your family will appreciate you planning ahead so that they don’t have to figure out what you would like or try to understand how to make that happen while feeling pressured by the modern funeral industry to make your arrangements quickly. Honestly, if you find yourself in that position, though, there is time, and you don’t need to feel rushed or pressured into choices you don’t feel comfortable with. Advance planning alleviates a lot of stress for everyone, and knowing the laws and regulations in your area can give you more confidence in taking the time you need.

My hope is that we all start having more of these conversations before we’re at the end of life to understand our choices, feel empowered, and alleviate the stress on our family and friends.

The first thing you should know about Recompose is that it’s located in the industrial district of Seattle. An area filled with warehouse-type buildings, lots of concrete, and the complete opposite of what you’d expect from a company helping to change the deathcare industry to something more environmentally friendly.

You might wonder why they would choose this location. What you need to know is that government regulations stipulate that they be classified similarly to a crematory and therefore are only allowed to exist in industrial-zoned areas at this time.

What Recompose does is so opposite to this industrial environment. From the moment I pulled up to the building, you could feel the life here. As I was pulling into a parking space, I had to wait for a family of Geese and goslings to cross, whom I later found out live nearby and make a frequent appearance. The next thing I noticed was the painting on the exterior of the concrete building, bringing life to this area.

When you walk into Recompose, it feels as if you’re walking into a PNW IKEA-style space. Though it is just another reception area, the wall behind the desk is covered in greenery, there are plants throughout, and it’s comfortable, simple without feeling sparse, and clean. I didn’t feel intimidated or as if I just walked into a funeral home. I felt calm and safe, and comforted as the other guests began arriving, and we filled the reception area for the tour. I was surprised by how far some people had traveled to see this facility and the reasons for them being there. I, of course, was curious from a professional standpoint and a personal one.

Having had a long fear of being buried in the ground after hearing stories as a child that affected my view of common burial practices, initially, this idea of human composting didn’t sound like something I was interested in for myself. I had always thought fire cremation was the more environmentally friendly and tidier way to go, and cheaper too! What I’ve learned through my end-of-life doula trainings is that that is not so. Fire cremation uses about as much fossil fuels as making a 600-mile trip in a pickup truck. Before my trainings, I really hadn’t thought about that aspect of it. I just thought it was a more environmentally friendly way to quickly return to the earth, though it turns out that ashes aren’t nourishing on their own in the way we often perceive them to be.

What I love about this process is that it is relatively short - just a couple of months, and we can return to the earth as we were intended to, in a way that nourishes and provides for the earth, giving back to her for what she has so generously given to us.

But what Recompose offers is so much more than just helping bodies return to the earth. This facility is filled with REVERENCE. This is the word I’m walking away feeling that I will associate most with what they do at Recompose.

As we toured the facility we saw a few rooms for gathering that were of various sizes and shapes. There is a room dedicated to viewings for families who want to spend some time with their person. This room is beautiful–it looks like a spa, with chairs to sit in and be in your person’s body’s presence, a sink to clean and anoint the body if you wish, and to lovingly care for the body of the person you knew.

There is a ceremony room for a funeral service to be held, which is simple and beautiful. This room includes a symbolic entry point for the shrouded body to be passed through into the “back of the house,” which looks similar to the octagonal vaults. Though this is not the vault the person will be placed in to for decomposition, it allows the family and friends to have a symbolic release of their person as we would have with traditional burial. It allows a feeling of closure and release.

What really struck me was when we entered the area in the “back of the house,” as they call it, where the vaults are housed. As they described how they prepare the bodies and care for them, all I could feel was the deep reverence I mentioned before. They lovingly care for each body, playing the person’s favorite music as they place them in the vault, and we were told that they place photos on the outside of the vault so that they can stay connected to the people’s bodies they are caring for (this area was not available for viewing obviously out of respect). They also refer to them by name rather than a number or other symbol that would depersonalize the process. No, you can tell that they very much feel honored to do this work and the service they provide here.

The process goes something like this. First, the vault is prepared with a “recipe” of composting materials, then the body is placed on top, and more composting materials are placed on top of the body. The vault heats naturally to around 130+ degrees, where decomposition happens. They very slowly rotate the vault and monitor the temperature over the course of several weeks as the body breaks down. When the temperature begins to drop, this indicates that the decomposition process has slowed. Then the remaining process involves separating the bones that have not broken down–minerals take longer than soft tissues to break down, so they are turned to ash and added back into the soil.

When I asked if clients were able to ask for ashes from the bones, I was told that this is a possibility that can be worked out with the funeral director there, as well as the possibility that the ashes of family or animals can be added to their soil as well if they wish.

So, what happens to the soil?

In the end, you are left with about a cubic yard of soil, which is roughly a truck bed full. This can all be given back to the family or can be donated to their land conservation partner, or you can choose a combination of taking some soil and donating the rest. You can use the soil on your property or spread it anywhere that you can scatter ashes (some areas may need a permit).

The employees that provided the tour today were respectful, educated, caring and compassionate, and welcoming.

If you’re in the Seattle area and interested in this process for your own or a family or friend’s deathcare, I highly recommend the tour and the facility. There is nothing scary or intimidating about it. I found much more transparency in sharing about what they provide and do at Recompose than at most funeral homes. Their costs are reasonable, and they provide almost everything for a flat fee. Of course, you can add on services such as a funeral service or viewing, and transportation outside of the three counties served does cost extra; however, I appreciate that they do not automatically build these prices into the fee for everyone, as not everyone will want or need these additions.

Natural Organic Reduction (NOR), which is what this process is legally termed, is now (at the time of this writing) legal in seven states in the USA, however, it is only currently operating in two states, Washington state and Colorado. The legislation process takes time, but we hope to see more states and companies offering this solution that gives back to the Earth in the future. You may feel a bit disappointed if you are in a state that does not allow this process, but it does not mean it’s not available to you. Recompose shared that around 30% of their business is from out of state. You can absolutely have your body transported to Seattle to be a part of this process if you choose.

Speaking of giving back, one of the concerns that come up is the thought that there must be a lot of methane gas produced in this process; however, we were told that ambient air is pumped into the vaults and the exhaust is run through a carbon filter, which when analyzed showed mostly ammonia – a byproduct of tissue decomposition and that this process saves more than a metric ton of carbon dioxide from entering the environment for every person that chooses this process over the conventional burial or cremation processes. You’ll continue to give back to the earth as your soil nourishes the ground and plants that will grow in it and continue the cycle of life.

Are you curious about the greener options for your own deathcare plans? I offer education sessions and advanced care planning sessions. Email or set up a free meeting to learn more.