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As Seen In The Wall Street Journal: The Funeral Startups Offering an Eco-Friendly Final Resting Place
Wall Street Journal
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June 3, 2025
The Wall Street Journal explores innovative funeral startups transforming the death care industry with sustainable alternatives, featuring Earth Funeral's expansion plans.
"It's exactly what would happen on a forest floor, but we're using science and technology to accelerate this," said Tom Harries, Earth Funeral's founder, describing the company's human composting process.
In The Wall Street Journal, reporter Clara Hudson examines the growing trend of eco-friendly death care options, positioning Earth Funeral as the largest provider of human composting services in the U.S.
The article highlights the environmental impact of traditional death care, noting that conventional burials emit 250 pounds of carbon compared to 25 pounds for eco-friendly alternatives. Earth Funeral's process transforms bodies into nutrient-rich soil over 30-45 days using renewable energy and 90% less water than aquamation, while producing no carbon emissions.
The piece emphasizes Earth Funeral's plans to expand across the U.S., particularly to the East Coast, as legalization spreads and demand grows for sustainable end-of-life options that address land scarcity and changing cultural attitudes toward traditional burial.
Return to nature through soil transformation
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Takeaways
- Market Leadership: Earth Funeral recognized as the largest human composting provider in the U.S. with facilities in Washington and Nevada
- Environmental Advantage: Process produces zero carbon emissions vs. 534 lbs CO2 from cremation and 250 lbs from traditional burial
- Cost Competitive: Human composting costs compared to cremation and burials
- Expansion Strategy: Earth Funeral planning East Coast facilities to reduce transportation emissions and improve accessibility
"It's exactly what would happen on a forest floor, but we're using science and technology to accelerate this."
