Burials are an environmental issue. In fact, it’s become a pretty in-depth issue. Back in the day, it was relatively simple: dig a pit, toss in the body. Then, we started seeing more elaborate funeral rituals, some of which move away from burial entirely. For example, the Vikings were very big on burning bodies. Interestingly enough, many of these ancient rituals were environmentally friendly, breaking down the body so it could become part of the environment. Now, when we bury people, it’s in coffins built to last, with bodies pumped full of chemicals. And, as the earth remains the same size, we just have more and more dead bodies. If we don’t start letting bodies return to the earth, what can we do? Enter the mushroom coffin.

The “Living Coffin,” Made Of Mushroom Fiber

The Netherlands just had a funeral. Nothing new.

What was new is that this is the first-even funeral where the body was laid to rest in a biodegradable coffin.
Now, when you saw the words “mushroom coffin,” it might have put a visual in your head. However, the reality is different–surprisingly so. It’s not a fancy coffin–a pretty bulky-looking boxy shape. Appearance-wise, it looks more like granite than plants. Admittedly, it also looks like it could be made of packing styrofoam.

What it is made of, however, is mycelium, the part of the mushroom that remains under the ground.

The coffin itself isn’t long for this world. In 4-6 weeks, it will have dissolved into the soil. But its work won’t be done. Then, this enriched soil will work on the body, decomposing it in 2-3 years. (1)

“Are You Waste Or Compost?”

It’s a bold question, designed to trigger a response. It’s the first text that hits your eyes when you go to the website created by Loop–the startup behind the living coffin. Even after death, we leave a scar on this planet,” bemoans the site. “Contrary to nature’s beautiful end-of-life cycle, people are not only parasitizing during life, but even after death.”  According to Loop, the human body has 219 chemicals that are actively destructive to the natural world and that–judging by soil quality, there’s little difference between the graveyard and the dump. “To be buried, we cut down a tree, work it intensively and try to shut ourselves off as well as possible from microorganisms,” they say. And if you feel smug about choosing to be cremated, not so fast– “we waste our nutrient-rich body by burning it with cremation, polluting the air.” (2)

Bob Hendrikx, Mushroom Coffin Man

“I talked to a relative [of the deceased] – it was a moving moment, we discussed the cycle of life,” says the 26-year-old founder of Loop. “He had lost his mother, but he was happy because thanks to this box, she will return to nature and will soon be living like a tree. It was a hopeful conversation.” 

Bob Hendrikx is a biodesigner, who radiates enthusiasm about his company’s offering. “Mycelium is constantly looking for waste products – oil, plastic, metals, other pollutants – and converting them into nutrients for the environment,” he says. “This coffin means we actually feed the earth with our bodies.” (1)