A deceased man in Maine has become one of the first people in the United States to be laid to rest in an eco-friendly casket grown from mushrooms and hemp, Maine Public and Fast Company reported.
The new caskets, designed and produced by Dutch company Loop Biotech, are part of a growing, $622 million green-burial industry. Unlike traditional hardwood caskets, the mushroom-and-hemp caskets biodegrade in just 45 days, providing vital nutrients to the soil as they do, according to Fast Company.
In a sense, the caskets allow the deceased to become a part of nature.
Mark Ancker's family said he was always clear about what his wishes were for when he died.
"When I was younger, my dad was just like, 'I want to be buried under a tree naked in the woods on my property,'" Marsya Ancker-Robert said, according to Maine Public Radio.
When her father passed away at the age of 77, Marsya contacted Loop Biotech and was shocked to learn that her father would be the company's first U.S. customer, per Fast Company. Maine Public initially reported Ancker was the first person in the entire country to be buried in this way but later retracted that statement; it is not immediately clear who holds a stake to that claim, as the publication did not provide another name.
Attendees at Mark's burial provided plants that were to become a perennial flower garden growing above, and nourished by, Mark's body.
"The process is helping to turn the grieving process into one of creation and gives me something to daydream about instead of focusing on the loss," Marsya said, according to Fast Company. "I would much prefer to think of my father as part of the garden than as a dead body lying in the ground."
Rather than being manufactured like other caskets, Loop Biotech's Living Cocoons are grown by pouring a mixture of mycelium and hemp into a mold. The process takes just seven days, per Fast Company.
By contrast, traditional burials involving hardwood caskets and embalming fluid have a high environmental cost.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
|
Would you live in a house made of fungus? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Heck yes 👍 According to Maine Public, "In the United States alone, 4.3 million gallons of embalming fluid, 20 million feet of hardwood, and 1.6 million tons of reinforced concrete are used in traditional burials" every year.
As the public gains awareness of the environmental costs of traditional burials, the shift to more sustainable, environmentally friendly options is picking up steam.
"I don't understand how we can put all these chemicals in the soil, the same soil we hopefully someday have our grandchildren feed themselves from," said Bob Hendrikx, founder and CEO of Loop Biotech, per Maine Public.
Even cremation, often seen as a more environmentally friendly option than traditional burial, has its environmental costs. It is highly energy-intensive, which releases heat-trapping pollution into the atmosphere, according to the Cremation Society of Milwaukee.
The process of spreading ashes, too, can be bad for the environment because of their high alkalinity.
Thanks to its unique and novel nature, the mushroom casket has turned heads online. Instagrammer Jacob Simon (@jacobsimonsays) posted a video sharing the news and asking whether the mushroom casket was the future of burial or just plain weird.
Judging by the reactions in the comments, people were in favor of the mushroom casket.
"I honestly think that this style is the only right way to be buried!" one commenter said. "Becoming part of the earth again is just a beautiful way to outlast and belong."
In addition to the environmental benefits of her father's mushroom-and-hemp casket, Marsya found that it helped with the mourning process, as well.
"It seems weird to say I have a favorite part of the grieving process," Marsya said. "[But] every moment of [gardening] was happy because I was daydreaming, and I was imagining.
"I wasn't thinking about what I didn't have. I was thinking about what was going to be."
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
