Death is the only permanent truth. We all have to go on, but how we depart depends on our choices in life. Some leave behind a legacy, others their organs, but when it comes to the last rites, we all leave only carbon emissions and pollution. Dutch firm Loop Biotech wants to change that with the Living Cocoon, the world’s first mushroom-based coffin built completely emissions-free and safe for the environment after life.
A casket made from mushroom mycelium decomposes and enriches the surrounding soil in the process. The invention of a decomposable coffin is beneficial for the environment since the traditionally used velvet-lined wooden coffins are not very kind.
Designer: Loop Biotech
The wooden ones generally take decades to decompose and release toxins into the soil. The Loop Living Cocoon is believed to take roughly 45 to completely decompose and become nutrients for the soil. With the use of mycelium and hemp fibers for its construction, Loop has been able to fully eliminate the use of chemicals, glues, and metals in making the Living Cocoon. Yet, the coffin is durable and usable in all types of weather conditions.
Loop Living Cocoon is offered in a calm or wild color option and is certified for ‘natural burials, traditional burials, and cremations.’ According to Loop, it has also created an EarthRise urn from similar mycelium material, offering a biodegradable way to part with the ashes.
Loop informs that a 100 percent decomposable coffin can be sustainably grown in a week’s time. It is made in one size, measuring 85 × 30 × 18 inches, which the company says should fit 98 percent of adults weighing up to 200 kg. Storing the casket can seem tricky, but according to the FAQs on the company’s website, the Living Cocoon can remain safe “as long as it’s kept dry” and stored in a “ventilated space above the ground.” The coffin only starts decomposing when it comes in contact with the soil.
Unlike the velvet-lined wooden caskets, the Cocoon is lined with moss. Moss is the standard material, but family members have the choice to order it lined with any other natural material. The biodegradable construction also makes a considerable difference to the dry weight of the Cocoon. It weighs only 30 kg, which is almost three times less than a traditional wooden coffin.
The lightweight construction, paired with six jute handles, makes it safe and secure to lift or shoulder the Living Cocoon, which is compatible with mechanical lifts and ropes, used for lowering the coffin. Basically, using the Cocoon doesn’t require any special accommodations; it’s usable just like any traditional casket, but unlike them, it leaves nothing more than a cleaner future behind. Sustainability doesn’t come cheap. The Loop Living Cocoon is priced just under $4000.
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