SEATTLE, WASHINGTON STATES: Micah Truman, the founder and CEO of Auburn-based Return Home, a firm that specializes in transforming human remains into soil, understands that death is not a popular topic of discourse among Americans.
That's why he said yes when ABC's 'Shark Tank' producers approached and asked him to participate in the second episode of the show's 15th season, which aired at 8 pm on Friday, October 6.
"Human composting," in which remains are transformed into nutrient-rich soil, is one of the most often discussed approaches to a more eco-friendly burial.
Nearly every state in the United States has its own burial rules, but as composting gets more popular, more individuals are considering it as an alternative.
California has joined Oregon, Colorado, and Washington in allowing human composting, also known as natural organic reduction, a process that proponents claim would reduce the carbon footprint of funerals.
The departed corpse is put in a reusable vessel packed with biodegradable materials such as straw or wood chips and allowed to disintegrate into the soil, which is then returned to loved ones or donated to land conservation organizations.
Natural organic reduction is less environmentally damaging than cremation or conventional burial. Cremation accounts for over 60% of all funerals in the United States.
It consumes fossil fuels and emits millions of metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. Meanwhile, funeral homes bury 90,000 metric tons of steel and almost 70,000 cubic meters of hardwood in caskets each year, in addition to the harmful chemicals used in embalming.
Micah and Katey Houstonno will pitch their unique concept to the Sharks in the upcoming episode 2 of 'Shark Tank' Season 15. Mark Cuban, Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, and Shark Daniel Lubetzky make an appearance.
While we will have to wait and see if the company’s pitch will have an effect on the Sharks, you can learn more about Return Home and its founder here.
What is ReturnHome Human Composting?
In an era where conversations about sustainable living are on the rise, the subject naturally extends to what happens after we die.
Traditionally, the alternatives were restricted to burial or cremation, both of which had environmental downsides.
ReturnHome is a corporation that offers an alternative: Terramation, often known as human composting. This green funeral ritual aims to gently convert human remains into productive soil — a sustainable last act on Earth.
The firm was inspired by a conversation between Micah and his mother, Lexi, which was triggered by revolutionary legislation in Washington state that made natural organic reduction lawful.
The concept expanded from this first spark into a fully-functioning firm, which formally opened its doors to the public in June 2021. Micah considers his job with ReturnHome to be one of his greatest honors in life, a sentiment shared by the incredible families they help.
ReturnHome provides a wide range of services in order to be as inclusive as possible. The company offers both urgent and pre-need human composting services as a full-service green funeral home.
One of its distinguishing features is the in-person or online laying-in service, which allows friends and family to participate in the laying-in of a loved one. Families in all 49 US states and Canada can use the service.
The process, which is carried out at the world's first large-scale Terramation Center with 74 custom-designed vessels, is at the heart of ReturnHome's service. Within 60 days, this procedure employs lucerne, straw, sawdust, and time to gradually turn human remains into productive soil.
It begins with "laying in," in which families tell their loved ones farewell and even decorate them with treasured things. Terramation follows, in which oxygen induces bacteria in the body to swiftly turn the body into the dirt in 30 days. Following that, the soil is allowed to rest and cool for another 30 days.
The dirt that results can be returned to the family or spread in the area called 'The Woodland', which is an 8-acre area dedicated to revitalizing local flora. The Terramation process produces around 1.5 cubic yards of dirt per body, which is enough to fill 10–15 hessian sacks. The process has a minimal carbon footprint since it uses little energy and sequesters the majority of the carbon produced in the soil.
Families can also be engaged at every stage, such as by driving their loved one to the facility or offering a last hair wash in ReturnHome's calm bathing area.
The company's facility is intended to be a welcoming place for families, with murals, a building-wide sound system that plays meaningful music, and a lush landscape that symbolizes the continuity of life.
Who is the founder of ReturnHome Human Composting?
Micah, a Seattle native and serial entrepreneur, established ReturnHome in January 2019 with a strong desire to make a positive difference in the world. His diversified career includes over 25 years of expertise running fast-developing firms in the United States and throughout the world.
Micah's foray into this niche of the funeral industry was not a solitary one. To make his idea a reality, he assembled a diverse team of professionals that included soil scientists, general contractors, death doulas, engineers, HVAC specialists, and funeral directors.
Micah has been a company owner and entrepreneur since 1995. He has over 25 years of expertise running fast-developing businesses both globally and in the United States.
Micah, a native of Seattle and seasoned international entrepreneur spent years in Asia running multiple internet technology firms before creating AsiaWise, an international real estate investment firm. Micah is an Oberlin College alumnus who has appeared in Fortune Magazine, The Seattle Times, The Los Angeles Times, Buzzfeed, Inc. Magazine, and National Public Radio.
Micah's stay at ReturnHome has undoubtedly been one of his greatest blessings. The families who come to ReturnHome are inspiring.
It's been an honor for him to witness families laugh, weep, throw spontaneous dance parties, and wrap their loved ones' vessels with LED lights. He witnessed a woman sing like an angel next to her recently deceased wife. He'll never be the same again.
What is the cost and where to book ReturnHome Human Composting funeral services?
ReturnHome is an environmentally friendly alternative to cremation and burial. Their customer care team takes pride in assisting clients through the various stages.
The customer care staff, according to the company's website, is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day to field queries. When a death occurs, the grieving family can call them or they can inform the hospice or hospital provider that Return Home is the chosen funeral home. After that, once Return Home is in the loop, they will be handle the funeral arrangements like any other funeral home.
ReturnHome offers professionally trained workers who can be deployed at any time of day or night to take care of your loved one. If you choose to care for your loved one at home before transferring to their facility, they can provide in-home services.
ReturnHome will finalize and file the death certificate, as well as secure the terramation permissions. Their services include help with various end-of-life plans, such as obituary writing, life insurance filing, VA benefits filing, and other challenging paperwork.
Return Home provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to physically bid your loved one farewell at their Auburn location. Their services team will collaborate with you to design a ceremony or service that is as distinct and unforgettable as your loved one.
Throughout the first 30–60 days, your loved one will remain in a vessel in front of their house, which you can visit throughout work hours.
The bodily remains get entirely transformed after the first phase, and the compost must now rest for an extra 30 days before being returned home. For additional information, please see their procedure page.
Once your loved one has returned home in the form of life-giving soil, ReturnHome can package any amount for in-store pickup and ship lesser amounts through USPS.
Just 10 miles from their Auburn facility, ReturnHome has built a specific area of woods for donated terramated remains to be spread. The Woodland has a public trailhead adjacent to it that allows families to wander amid the exact flora that their loved one has maintained.
Terramation (Human Composting) costs $4,950.This includes the following:
- Transportation to their Auburn, WA, facility (depending on location, extra transportation fees may apply).
- The transformation of the body into lovely, rich soil.
- The service staff will provide complete advice throughout the entire procedure.
- The death certificate and other relevant documentation are filed.
- Returning dirt to the family or donating soil to ReturnHome's Woodland site to help revitalize local flora.
Where is ReturnHome Human Composting now?
ReturnHome is a community committed to providing a courteous, honest, and ethical alternative to traditional post-death practices. As a result, it is establishing a new culture of deathcare that matches the expanding social emphasis on sustainability and environmental stewardship.
As of October 2023, terramation is only permitted in a few states. Washington, California, Oregon, Colorado, and Vermont are among them. It costs $5500, which is half the price of a regular burial and almost double the price of cremation.
The firm was founded in 2021 and funded $675,911.30 on StartEngine to help build up its facilities. They're probably looking for a Shark's money to fund legislative projects and expand their facilities.
“'Shark Tank' is going to be a huge moment for the funeral industry,” Micah told the Seattle Times of the episode he filmed in Los Angeles early this summer. “Whatever happens with Return Home happens. But this is a chance for 5 million people to talk about what happens when we die.”
In the episode, Micah and ReturnHome service manager Katey go before the Sharks — Mark, Kevin, Daymond, Lori, and Daniel — to ask for a $2 million investment for 5% of the firm, which Micah claims is losing money.
Micah described the ReturnHome procedure to the Sharks, although in a slightly truncated form due to television time constraints. A 'Shark Tank' behind-the-scenes staff member advised Micah and Katey on how to prepare a 90-second pitch. Micah claimed he was in front of the Sharks for nearly an hour, though it was all a blur to him.
Micah found it interesting that the makers of 'Shark Tank' reached out to ReturnHome at all.
“We’re human composters, man. These guys [on ‘Shark Tank’] are doing consumer goods and pet shampoo and cool things that people use in their day-to-day lives,” he said. “When I got the call, I loved how receptive they were, that they were willing to give a really unusual company a chance.”
What about the Sharks' reaction?
"The hope is [for them] to be really curious, to really want to dive down into that. I don’t know that that level of curiosity was there. But in a lot of ways, I don’t blame them. We tend to not want to have that deeper discussion because this is a scary topic," Micah explained before referring to the lighter fare more commonly seen on 'Shark Tank'.
Who will steal the deal?
Micah and Katey will pitch the company and its development potential to the five Sharks on the panel. They will have to persuade Daniel, a frequent Shark Guest, Mark, Kevin, Lori, and Daymond that the firm is deserving of a Shark investment.
The Sharks will be impressed with a strong business plan, strong financials, and robust sales statistics, but they'll also want to see that you can run the company to "Shark standards."
Given the fact that the company was losing money during the filming of the episode, as per Micah, there might be no deal.
'Shark Tank' Season 15, Episode 2, aired on ABC on Friday, October 6, 2023, at 8 pm ET. Catch the latest episode featuring products like TOAST-IT, Storm Bags, Matador Male Meggings, and ReturnHome Human Composting.
Did you miss an episode? Been wanting to catch up? Episodes can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu. Not just that, you can also watch old seasons and episodes on Amazon Prime Video and iTunes.
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