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Witness from Earth Funeral backs bill to legalize natural organic reduction in Ohio
Summary
Tom Harris, CEO of Earth Funeral, urged the committee to support Senate Bill 323 to authorize natural organic reduction (NOR) as a voluntary disposition option, saying NOR is legal in 14 states, converts remains to soil in about a month, and meets religious and environmental preferences for some families.
Tom Harris, CEO of Earth Funeral, testified in favor of Senate Bill 323, which would allow natural organic reduction (NOR) — a technology-assisted process that converts human remains into soil — as a legal disposition option in Ohio.
Harris described NOR as a process that uses organic materials and engineered vessels to accelerate decomposition, producing nutrient-rich soil over approximately one month; he said the soil is tested for safety and that families may receive all or part of the soil for personal use or choose to donate it for conservation or reforestation projects. He said NOR is already legal in 14 states and that more than 2,400 Ohioans have expressed interest in the option.
Harris emphasized the choice is voluntary and would not prevent traditional burial or cremation. He framed the option as compatible with faith-based perspectives, telling the committee, “Natural organic reduction represents a deeply respectful way to return to the Earth.”
A committee member asked whether the bill would allow the widely circulated idea of being planted whole as a tree; Harris said that characterization is a misconception and clarified that families receive nutrient-rich soil that can be used around a tree but that the process and safeguards differ from the myth. The committee recorded no additional opponent testimony; Chair O’Brien said the matter would stand as the second hearing on SB 323.
