I confess the idea of burial leaves me feeling a little unsettled. This realization came to me with the recent loss of my dear Aunt Mary. She was like a second mother to me. Seeing her lying in her coffin made her appear exposed and vulnerable. I didn’t like it. Watching her coffin drop into the ground in the cold of February and walking away as the wind blew all around me felt cruel. What we want when it comes to funerals is very personal, but also deeply tied to rites and traditions. However, I would think the practice of burial becomes more challenging as the world continues to eat up all the green space available. So it’s not surprising entrepreneurs are looking for new ways to handle funeral proceedings. Enter the organic burial pod, the brainchild of Capsula Mundi. (1)
Organic Burial Pods Creators
Although, as the name indicates, burial pods still require a spot to be laid in the ground, this method is different. How so? It transforms the body into a tree. (1)
The project founders Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel of Italy wanted to find an improved and very innovative approach to managing burials and cemeteries. They created the biodegradable pods to work in tune with “Nature’s cycle of transformation.” (1)
Organic Burial Pods Becoming A Tree
The idea of becoming a tree following death is very prolific and even comforting. This new organic burial pod takes the remains of our body and uses its nutrients to nurture the growth of a tree, which is quite beautiful. (1)
Organic Burial Pod Process
Bodies are placed in a fetal position within the organic burial pods. Once placed in the ground, a tree or tree seed is planted. It is a customized process that allows you to choose the tree you wish to be planted in your memory. (1)
“Rigor mortis arises at different times for each individual and has a duration of a few hours. After rigor mortis passes, the body will again become soft and malleable. Once the body is laid within the Capsula, it will be planted in the earth like a seed,” says Capsula Mundi. (1)
Organic Burial Pods Use Starch Plastic
The organic burial pods use a starch plastic that allows for natural decomposition. Through the process, the starch plastic transforms into minerals offering vegetative organisms to nurture the tree. Perhaps the most inspired aspect of the entire process is that cemeteries containing the burial pods become lovely forests. Instead of the more depressing view of fields of tombstones, loved ones visit lovely green parks with trees that help sustain our planet. (1)
These “memory forests” (I literally tear up as I type the term) are growing in popularity in England and the U.S. Loved ones can care for the tree, keeping a deep connection to those they have lost (more tears here). (1)
Organic Burial Urns
Capsula Mundi urns are also available for ashes. This allows you to take the biodegradable urn and place it on your own property, or property of your choice to keep your loved one even closer. You plant the urn and tree together in the same way. Lovely. (2)