Cancel OK

Live green, die green – thanks to mushrooms 

cocoon coffin

For those committed to living a green lifestyle, now there’s an option to continue that once you’re done living. 

A Dutch company has introduced the Loop Living Cocoon – which it calls the world’s first living coffin – a 100 percent natural product grown from mycelium, which is the underground root network of mushrooms. 

“In nature, mycelium is the driving force behind the natural cycle of life, by continuously transforming dead organic matter into key nutrients for new seedlings to grow. This unique power enables the Loop Living Cocoon to rapidly become one with nature, transforming our human nutrients into a source for new life to thrive,” the company says on its website. 

Loop Biotech delivers throughout Europe with options beyond.  

It also boasts a 995 Euro (plus taxes) price point, putting it below many burial options. 

In the U.S., caskets cost anywhere from about $700 to $20,000, with a typical range of $2,000-5,000.  

As far as its green profile, it says it begins to biodegrade in 45 days, and offers either sustainable linen or a bed of moss inside. 

Funeral homes in the U.S. estimate most caskets will last 20-30 years before starting to degrade, depending on whether they’re made of wood or longer lasting materials. 

Let the green living continue past the living. 

Twitter

Greg Johnson is Vice President of Media for Blue Book Services