You can now help the planet even after you die. How?––By opting for a living coffin that turns corpses into compost quicker. The ‘living coffin’ or ‘living cocoon’ speeds up the decomposition of your body, turning the corpses into compost that enriches the soil.
Loop
Bob Hendrikx, 26, who is a bio-designer at the University of Delft, is the brain behind this idea.
The coffin is made of mycelium, which is the reason behind the bodies turning into mushrooms. Mycelium is also known for absorbing industrial by-products and has even been shown in places with nuclear activity to soak up radiation.
Bob told HartVanNederland (local newspaper) “Mycelium is constantly looking for waste products – oil, plastic, metals, other pollutants – and converting them into nutrients for the environment,” he added. “This coffin means we actually feed the earth with our bodies. We are nutrients, not waste.”
He also said that the coffin “Takes one week to grow and then, containing the body of the deceased, takes an estimated two to three years to decompose.” Unlike the traditional coffins where the body takes years to decompose and return to the soil of the Earth.
The living coffin costs around $1,350, which is cheaper compared to many conventional coffins. Last year, one 82 years old woman became the first to be buried in the living cocoon.
The Living Cocoon is now owned by a company called Loop which has signed a deal with a funeral home. Also, the living coffin is causing a stir on social media, looking at which Hendrikx predicts that his invention is gonna make a big hit.
What are your thoughts on this?
Related Article:
20 Unusual Yet Fascinating Gravestones Around The World
300-Yeard-Old Sealed And ‘Locked’ Letter Is Finally Opened