“Instead of: ‘we die, we end up in the soil and that’s it,’ Now there is a new story : we can enrich life after death and you can continue to thrive as a new plant or tree. It brings a new narrative in which we can be part of something bigger than ourselves,” stated Loop Biotech Co-Founder, Bob Hendrixx.
There is always talk about how people want to be laid to rest after passing, whether in a cemetery, spread across the ocean, or placed in a mausoleum, many want their loved ones to be able to honor and cherish their memory. A few innovative people may even want to become a tree, flower, or plant, reborn into the earth, which can be seen as a more free-spirited decision. An Intrepid Dutch inventor has taken this idea a step further…..
For those who are passionate about sustainability, love the earth, or don’t want to take up space within the ground, this new invention may be the option for them! Dutch inventor (name not disclosed), has created a “growing” and compostable coffin out of mushrooms. By mixing mycelium, which is the base/root structure of a mushroom, with hemp fibers, a solid biomass can begin to form. Upon creating the mixture, it is then spread into a special mold that in turn flourishes into what resembles an Egyptian sarcophagus. Standard wooden coffins take years to build and break down, but the mushrooms will break back down into nature in under a month and a half.
There are hundreds of religions, cultures, and traditions that call for loved ones, partners, those of royal or higher status, and many others to be buried and celebrated in individual ways. But for those who are climate conscious and believe their environmental responsibility shouldn’t be halted after death, this new invention can bring comfort to their legacy. It also allows them to fulfill a well respected, full circle life—from conception to burial.
“We all have different cultures and different ways of wanting to be buried in the world. But I do think there’s a lot of us, a huge percentage of us, that would like it differently. And it’s been very old school the same way for 50 or 100 years,” stated U.S. investor, Shawn Harris.
Loop Biotech company, based in the Netherlands, is the company that has undergone the production and development of these coffins. They have also created compostable urns for those who prefer cremation. At the current rate of production, Loop Biotech can develop, or "grow," 500 coffins or urns in a month to be shipped across Europe. Each coffin has a sale rate of $1000, and each urn is set at $212. This innovative perspective on death can bring peace, respect, and circularity to those moving on to the afterlife.
