Many have been curious about alternative burials because when you think about it, the usual options are burials and cremation. While there is nothing wrong with traditional burial, some may want a “greener” burial. A couple of years back, a very interesting alternative burial involving trees went viral. This type of deposition gives the deceased the option of their burial process to be a green burial, but it also allows them to become a part of nature. There is an Italian company called Capsula Mundi that specializes in this kind of burial.
Capsula Mundi wants to change the way people view the burial process. By planting trees on top of the burial pods to serve as a memorial, loved ones can visit their departed and have a more personal experience, allowing them to tend to the tree which could symbolise them tending to their departed.These egg-shaped burial pods are an ancient way of burying and it also gives symbolism to being buried like a seed and being reborn in the form of a tree. The family gets the chance to care for the tree not only as a memorial for the deceased but, like Capsula Mundi states on their site, as a way to take care of the future of our planet. For a burial to be considered a “green burial”, it needs to have a minimal impact on the environment, it needs to help conserve natural resources, and it must use biodegradable materials. Capsula Mundi uses an organic green burial process where they utilize. organic materials like starch to make pods in which the deceased will be placed. They give the person the option of choosing whether they want to be cremated or not, the only difference being the pod that would be used.The egg-shaped pod varies in size depending on the choice of the aforementioned burial process, as ashes would be placed in small egg-shaped urns while bodies would be placed in a fetal position in larger pods. You can also pick what kind of tree you want prior to your death.
This process would take away the gray and creepy feeling usually associated with cemeteries. If this alternative burial were to be adopted by the majority of the population, cemeteries would look like forests, not only making them more comfortable to visit, but also helping the environment and counteracting deforestation. When visiting a deceased loved one, you would no longer just be standing in front of a slab of cement but you would get the chance to interact with their loved ones in a different way.