Trenton, NJ – Gov. Phil Murphy has signed legislation allowing human composting, also known as natural organic reduction, as a legal alternative to burial and cremation in New Jersey. The move makes the Garden State one of a small but growing number of states to formally permit the environmentally friendly practice.

Assembly Bill 4085, passed by both chambers earlier this summer, updates state law to recognize the supervised decomposition of human remains into soil. The measure authorizes the State Board of Mortuary Science to regulate natural organic reduction facilities, including licensing requirements, oversight of operations, and health and safety rules.

Under the law, no facility may operate without annual registration and inspection by both the board and the Department of Environm

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