Egg-shaped burial pods feed the trees and turn cemeteries into forests

[enrieb]

"The Capsula Mundi concept, from designers Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel, uses an egg-shaped burial pod made from biodegradable starch plastic as the coffin, in which the body is placed in a fetal position and buried under the ground. A tree (or tree seed) is then planted over the top of the pod, which will use the nutrients from the decomposing body as fertilizer for its growth.

 

Although the Capsula Mundi is still a design concept, not an actual option for those planning for their funerals (in part because of regulations about burials and cemeteries), the designers hope that in the future, this type of burial will be allowed and "memory parks" full of trees will be planted. Instead of cemeteries full of headstones, the trees would serve as living memorials to the deceased."

 

 

Egg-shaped burial pods feed the trees and turn cemeteries into forests : TreeHugger

 

Would this create a good source of nutrients for a tree? or even provide a stable base? I've always wondered if trees planted over coffins are potentially unstable, as and when, the space in the coffin collapses over time.

 

I like the idea. What do you think?

[JLA Arborists]

If a tree needed removing I wouldn't like to do it or stump grind.

[ArthurBottlesworth]

How do you carry it? Bit undignified to roll it across graveyard and into the hole.....

 

Whats wrong with cardboard coffin?

[farmer rod]

I had to get some big scots pine out of a cemetery after '87, looked easy enough, but the keeper said as drove in with the tractor " watch out when the boxes go" so I had them slabbed and carried them out by hand as I was a bit spooked

 

generally though, I like the green burial thing

[difflock]

Cardboard coffins(and a very very sound idea btw) are actually more expensive that a bog standard wooden/fake Oak one.

Wicker work is even more expensive again.

From a conversation with the friendly local Funeral Director.

A strange bloody world we live in.

[njtimber]

sounds a great idea to plant trees over bodys ,but if the cemetery suffered windblow in years to come the clear up would be a bit grim !!

[MATTMOSS]

I can't imagine how decomposing bodies would fertilise the trees, I would think it would be a gooey toxic mess.......in the short term anyway

[fergusonforestry]

sounds like new age townie hippy rubbish to me, burial pods! planting trees as a memorials nowt new and as for the pod bet it costs a ruddy fortune! but each to their own! need some serious upkeep though to prevent problems highlighted above!

[nepia]

Planting things over corpses to feed them isn't a new concept: I've heard lore concerning planting roses over a fish and something else over a sheep!

So I suppose a human corpse could provide some nutrient but what would it be by the time the roots reached it?

As for burying someone in the foetal position; great. Cemeteries are overcrowded with stretched out folk so you could really cram them in!

[agg221]

Something similar to this already exists:

 

Arbory Trust - Burial Ground

 

Alec