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As Seen in Baltimore Sun: After death, some Marylanders are choosing to become soil instead of ashes
Baltimore Sun
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May 18, 2026
The Baltimore Sun explores how Maryland is becoming a hub for green death care as Earth Funeral opens one of the world's largest human composting facilities in Elkridge, bringing natural organic reduction to East Coast families.
"It's choice. No one should be forced to do anything they don't want to," said Earth Funeral CEO Tom Harries, reflecting on why having more end-of-life options matters and why families are increasingly choosing soil transformation over traditional burial and cremation.
In The Baltimore Sun, reporter Kiersten Hacker examines how Maryland's Green Death Care Options Act paved the way for Earth Funeral's Elkridge facility, giving local families access to natural organic reduction without having to transport loved ones across the country.
The article highlights the facility's scale, with vessels across 36,000 square feet and capacity for 126 vessels at once, at full build-out, and explores the environmental and financial case for human composting, noting that Earth Funeral's services range from $5,000 to $7,000, less than conventional burial and comparable to cremation with services, while showcasing how families use the soil to plant memorial trees, gardens, or carry loved ones wherever life takes them.
The piece also highlights Maryland's gold standard regulations, the most rigorous of all 14 states where human composting is legal, giving families confidence that the process is held to the highest standards of care and transparency.
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Takeaways
- Maryland as a Hub: The state's Green Death Care Options Act makes it the most regulated and progressive state for alternative death care, with human composting, aquamation, and natural burial all now available locally
- Landmark Facility: Earth Funeral opens one of the world's largest human composting sites in Maryland, giving East Coast families local access to natural organic reduction for the first time
- ‍Affordable Alternative: Earth Funeral's all-inclusive services average just under $6,000, less than traditional burial and comparable to cremation
- Gold Standard Regulation: Maryland has the most rigorous natural organic reduction regulations in the country, with strict chain of custody, temperature monitoring, and approved amendments
- Flexibility for Families: The resulting soil can be kept for personal memorialization, donated to conservation, or used to plant memorial trees and gardens wherever families call home
Read the article on Baltimore Sun
"It changes the conversation because there is a newer alternative that the cost is more reasonable, and if you like nature, it's the best thing that you can do for the earth as your last act on Earth."
