Eco-burials: Planting the Seed

Would you want to become a tree after death?
(credit: treehugger.com)

There’s been a rising trend in the past decade to reduce our end-of-life footprint. It is a hefty task, and one that calls for us to re-evaluate our burial options amongst other things. For many, that means having a “green” or “eco” burial in which use of formaldehyde and non-biodegradable coffins is swapped for more planet-conscious options. Similarly, we can look to designers Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel, whose collaborative vision for “Capsula Mundi” imagines “sacred forests” in lieu of traditional cemeteries. You could call Capsula Mundi a “coffin,” but the label doesn’t sit right. This is not your run-of-the-mill coffin – it’s an organic end-of-life vessel that joins a human to the earth, ultimately turning him or her into a tree.

“You could call Capsula Mundi a “coffin,” but the label doesn’t sit right. This is not your run-of-the-mill coffin…”

Designer Anna Citelli.
(credit: ibiscotticomunic.ano.com)

“Capsula Mundi saves the life of a tree and proposes to plant one more,” reads the designers’ mission statement, “By planting different kinds of trees next to each other it creates a forest. A place where children will be able to learn all about trees. It’s also a place for a beautiful walk and a reminder of our loved ones.” Although Capsula Mundi is not yet available, it certainly presents a burial option that is on-point with environmentally-conscious consumer needs (the loved one is placed in the “burial pod” made from a biodegradable starch plastic that enables a tree to grow).

But there’s something else that might draw people to Capsula Mundi, an intrigue that has less to do with environmental concerns and more to do with the appeal of returning to the earth. Trees are one of our planet’s most fascinating creations: they are both delicate and resilient, ancient but in constant regeneration. Traditional headstones offer a composed, respectful marker for those who wish to remember a loved one – but imagine if that headstone was given more vitality. Imagine a day when visiting a grave doesn’t just meaning staring down at a marble slab, but reading a book under the shade of a loved one’s tree in blossom?

Each “growth” ring on a tree marks a year of life.
(credit: Janet Little)

“Imagine a day when visiting a grave doesn’t just meaning staring down at a marble slab, but reading a book under the shade of a loved one’s tree in blossom?”

Capsula Mundi may not win over everyone’s hearts, but its very conception shows an exciting shift towards a more personalized end-of-life process. Whether you’re keen to become an oak tree or not, Citelli and Bretzel are expanding our comfort zones and conceptions of what a burial can be in 2015.

Read more of SevenPonds’ Soulful Expressions here.