One footprint in the grave

The egg-shaped coffin is still in its start-up phase, but the Capsula Mundi Urn is available to buy online. Your ashes are put into the egg, made of biodegradable material, with a small tree planted on top. Instead of tombstones you get a forest.

 

Raoul Bretzel said: “Capsula Mundi proposes the idea that in some way death is not the end but part of a process in which we’ll be back to the cycle of Nature. We believe our society needs to 
change the approach to death. 

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“To make a coffin, a precious tree must be cut down. A tree takes between 10 and 40 years to reach maturity and the coffin is used for just three days. With Capsula Mundi the process of the anaerobic decomposition starts involving the body and the material of the Capsula and leads to their mineralization. This transformation process, engaging and complex, brings us back to the cycle of life.” 

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Anna Citelli expresses the want for a different type of graveyard where there is an emphasise on life rather than death. 

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“There is a different feeling between visiting our loved ones passed away in a cemetery full of tombstones and going in a forest, a site of memories but also a space of life. A place with a sentimental value, where families can stroll with kids. Cemeteries will acquire a new look and, instead of the cold grey landscape we see today, they will grow into vibrant woods.”

However, in Italy where this method was designed, only the Capsula Mundi urn is permitted. There are many legal struggles about how natural burials can be achieved safely. It is legal in the UK and all North America and Canada. 

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Anna Said: “before changing laws, we need to challenge the way people think about death.” 

There are some sceptics within the industry that disagree with the practicalities of Capsula Mundi. 

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“How are you going to get it to the grave site?” Says Rosie Inman-Cook, manager at the Natural Death Centre.

 

“It’s great they raise the topic of death and get the subject out there, but as a product it is impractical. I guess we’ll just have to see when it launches but I can imagine it will be extremely expensive and there are already products out there that do the same thing.”

 

There are also concerns with the urn. Rosie tells Footprint that trees do not react well to copious quantities of ash. It is toxic for the trees, but says there are many other alternatives that are better researched and not just for design purposes. 

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“The UK leads the way in alternative funerals, the Neverlands is catching up but in the rest of Europe it’s just not possible. The main problem we have with any of these natural burials is that traditional funeral parlours don’t like it, the business doesn’t like it. The ceremonies are too long, it’s not as profitable. If you know nothing about funerals and are naïve you will get sold the formula funeral: quick, easy, and definitely not environmentally friendly.”  

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The Natural Death Centre Chairmen, Richard Putt also said there is not a high demand for alternative funerals outside of London. 

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“Where I work in Cornwall the demand is nowhere near as pronounced. People haven’t caught on to the environmental side of burials yet. It’s important for the word to spread outside of London and for people to do their own research.” 

Executive Director of the Green Burial Council in America, Kate Kalanick, says there’s been an increase in green burials recently. With the council having only one site approved in 2006 to now over 300 Kate says the public have become more aware of their carbon footprint once in the grave. 

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“Choosing a natural burial is one way to lessen our impact on our struggling environment.” Says Kate. Based in California where droughts and landslides have ravaged the lavish state it is impossible to ignore the changing climate and the effects it can have.

 

“There are various reasons for green burials rising in popularity, the stand out reason is that people are becoming more aware that they have choices when it comes to their disposition.

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“We often accept the options that are given to us at face value and tend not to question the way things are done.  This type of thinking or lack thereof results in an unawareness and that contributes to us continuing to make choices that are not healthy for the environment.” 

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In the UK there are over 200 natural burial sites. Although people are becoming more intrigued by this alternative burial when it comes to city life it isn’t always the easiest.

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“We do everything we can to reduce the impact of the work we’re doing on the environment, but it’s difficult. Specially to achieve within the reality of being a funeral director in central London,” says Louise Winter, founder of alternative funeral parlour Poetic Endings. Blonde, bubbly and bright Louise is the antithesis to what you’d expect from a funeral director. Recommended by the Natural Death Centre Louise strives to offer a wide range of funerals and helps people consider how they can lessen their impact on the environment after they die. 

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Louise’s grandfather died when she was 25. It helped her realise the effects of how we deal with death and how important it is, not just for the deceased, but for the relatives to have the right kind of ceremony. 

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“I think it's really important that the existing funeral profession truly absorb the need to offer something new. 

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“I created a funeral service which was the opposite to everything I was experiencing within the traditional funeral profession.  We're open, flexible, transparent about prices, have a beautiful website which is user friendly and lists all the options, and communicate with people in a way that belongs to 2018.” 

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There are two natural burial sites in London and around 11 on the outskirts. Louise often helps plan ceremonies at these sites saying they are a ‘beautiful alternative’ to traditional ceremonies. 

Kate agrees with Louise that natural burials are a nicer way to say goodbye to our loved ones: “Friends and family are able to participate in much more of the process, resulting in a feeling of service to those they love, a level of healing not always found with conventional burial or cremation is often experienced.”

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However, just because you have a traditional funeral does not mean that you can’t help lower your impact on the environment. Louise, amongst others, offer coffins made from bamboo, woven pineapple leaves, pinboo and reclaimed timber which all help lower your carbon footprint after you die.

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According to the National Association of Funeral directors the funeral sector is worth over 1.5 billion pounds. With more people in the world than ever before, it is no surprise businesses are catching on to the deadly clientele. 

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Architect Katrina Spade has launched the Urban Death Project in Seattle. Hoping to be the first fully sustainable ‘graveyard’ in 2023 Katrina has worked with soil scientists to perfect the process of Recomposition – turning your body into nutrient rich soil. 

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Speaking to Wired, Katrina said: “To give the earth back the soil that is created from a person would be purely symbolic. If what we’re trying to do is reconnect with the fact that we’re all part of this grand natural world, let’s say ok, we really are part of this system that’s greater than ourselves.” 

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It’s not legal yet. However, the idea is that your body will be turned into compost and the building will strive to be a place of peace and life where families can go to say goodbye to their loved ones but then are able to give life to nature by using their soil. 

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Death. It’s going to happen to you. You can’t control when. You can’t control where, but you can control what happens after. With the topic becoming less taboo and research into environmental options widespread – it is time to start thinking about how you can affect the planet even after your demise.

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With companies designing more modern innovative options, a new life after death may become achievable.