Recompose
| Company type | Public benefit corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Death care |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founder | Katrina Spade |
| Headquarters | Seattle , United States |
| Products | Natural organic reduction (human composting) services |
Recompose is a public benefit corporation established in 2017 by designer and death care advocate Katrina Spade, evolving from her earlier 2014 non-profit initiative, the Urban Death Project.
Located in Seattle, WA, Recompose provides a death care service that transforms human remains into soil through a process known as natural organic reduction, or human composting. This environmentally conscious method, which takes approximately 30 days, is promoted as a sustainable alternative to conventional cremation and burial practices.
Operational Overview
Recompose employs a patent pending technique where bodies are placed inside containers filled with natural substances such as wood chips and alfalfa. An oxygen-delivering fan system facilitates the decomposition of soft tissue within about one month, producing roughly two wheelbarrows’ worth of nutrient-rich soil. Families have the option to retain this soil, use it for planting trees, or contribute it through a collaboration with Forterra, Washington’s largest land conservation entity, to aid in forest restoration efforts.
Safety Measures
To ensure the safety and efficacy of natural organic reduction, Recompose collaborated with Western Washington University on a research study led by soil scientist Lynne Carpenter-Boggs. The study involved six donors, and the resulting compost met all federal and state regulations regarding pathogens and contaminants. Carpenter-Boggs currently acts as a compensated consultant for Recompose.
Founding Background
Katrina Spade, the founder of Recompose, was raised in rural New Hampshire within a non-religious family that embraced spirituality through nature. Motivated by concerns about mortality, she sought alternatives to traditional burial and cremation that would be both environmentally sustainable and cost-effective, while also allowing loved ones to participate in the care process. Drawing inspiration from livestock mortality composting techniques, Spade conceived the idea of human recomposition.
In recognition of her pioneering work, Spade was awarded the Echoing Green Climate Fellowship in 2014.
Urban Death Project
The Urban Death Project was launched in 2014 and collaborated with Western Carolina University’s Forensic Anthropology Department. Its 2015 Kickstarter campaign successfully raised $91,000 from more than 1,200 supporters.
In 2016, research efforts began with Washington State University’s Soil Science Department under the guidance of Dr. Lynne Carpenter-Boggs. Concurrently, law students at Wake Forest University examined legal considerations surrounding the practice. The partnership with Western Carolina University was featured in Caitlin Doughty’s 2017 bestselling book From Here to Eternity; Traveling the World to Find the Good Death.
In 2017, the Urban Death Project non-profit was dissolved and replaced by Recompose as a public benefit corporation.
Facility Development
Following Washington state’s legalization of natural organic reduction in 2020, Recompose inaugurated its first operational facility on December 20, 2020, near Seattle, Washington. Plans for an 18,500-square-foot building designed by Olson Kundig Architects, intended to accommodate 75 vessels around a communal gathering space, were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, Recompose opened a smaller-scale "workhorse" site located in Kent, Washington, which supports only 10 vessels and does not feature a public gathering area. To maintain family involvement during the process, friends and relatives can observe the laying-in ceremony through a livestream connection.