"Please Bury Me Here"... World's First Unconventional 'Eco-Friendly Funeral' Held in Australia

Absorbed Into Soil in About 45 Days After Burial
Emerging as an Alternative to Carbon Emissions From Cremation

An unconventional funeral using the world’s first eco-friendly coffin made from mushroom mycelium has been held in Australia. This reflects growing public interest in sustainable funeral practices as alternatives to conventional cremation and its associated carbon emissions.

Mushroom Pavilion (Loop Living Cocoon) is placed on the ground. Loop Biotech website

According to the Independent on September 7 (local time), at the funeral of Carolyn, a woman in her 70s held at Springwood Cemetery in Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia, the deceased became the first person in the country to be laid to rest in a mushroom coffin and buried in the ground.

'Loop Living Cocoon' Coffin Blending Mushroom Mycelium and Hemp Fibers

The coffin used in this funeral is the 'Loop Living Cocoon', developed by Dutch company Loop Biotech. It is made by mixing mycelium, the root network of mushrooms, with hemp fibers, which are agricultural waste. The mycelium grows inside a mold with controlled temperature and humidity and forms a complete coffin in just one week.

Mushrooms are growing from the soil after burial. Loop Biotech website

Unlike conventional wooden coffins, which can take up to 50 years to fully decompose underground, the mushroom coffin is fully absorbed into soil in just about six weeks after burial. Developer Bob Hendrikx explained, “Under ideal conditions, it becomes one with the earth in 45 days,” adding, “It is designed not to pollute the earth but to supply nutrients to the soil.” Hendrikx, who personally designed the coffin, first conceived the idea five years ago as a university project. After overcoming Australia’s strict quarantine regulations, the product has now been approved for local distribution.

The mushroom cultivation bed material can be selected between moss and wool. Loop Biotech website

Asha Dooley, who oversaw the funeral, stated, “In recent years, there has been a significant increase in inquiries from bereaved families about eco-friendly funeral options that do not harm the environment.” As the population adhering to traditional religions declines, there is analysis that eco-friendly funeral trends focusing on the value of ‘returning to nature’—rather than the belief that ‘the spirit goes to heaven’—are spreading.

The deceased’s husband, Donald, said, “The fact that she could do something for others and return to nature even after death is just like her life.” Another acquaintance, Christine, recalled, “Seeing her lying on a moss bed, it truly felt as if she'd already become part of nature.”

Composting Facilities Emerging as an Alternative

The spread of such green burials is closely related to environmental pollution issues stemming from conventional funeral practices. In Australia, roughly 200,000 funerals are held annually, and with the shortage and high cost of cemeteries in metropolitan areas, the cremation rate has risen to about 70%.

The composting process turns remains into soil for fertilizer. Instead of cremation, microorganisms decompose the remains for over a month. Instagram of the U.S. composting company Recompose

However, as the huge volume of carbon emissions produced during cremation emerges as an environmental problem, various alternatives for eco-friendly funerals are now being actively discussed—including mushroom coffin burials and human composting practices that decompose bodies using organic methods. Composting facilities also save space, as they do not require a dedicated plot of land in land-scarce urban areas.

Additionally, composting does not require the use of chemicals for embalming, so it does not pollute the ground and is safe from contamination by pathogens present in the body. Currently, Governor Gavin Newsom of California has signed a law allowing ‘natural organic reduction burial,’ and Alex Greenwich, independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, has introduced a bill to legalize human composting in the region.

"Deaths Rising but Facilities Lacking"... ‘Hydrolysis Decomposition’ Gains Attention in Korea

Electronic display panel inside a crematorium in Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Meanwhile, in South Korea, cremation is overwhelmingly preferred, with more than 9 out of 10 deaths resulting in cremation. According to the Korea Funeral Culture Promotion Institute, the cremation rate in Korea has recently reached 94.5%. As a result, it is customary to perform cremation on the last of the traditional three-day funeral, but due to a shortage of cremation facilities, families often wait for an available slot, effectively extending funerals to four days. With crematoriums being a typical ‘NIMBY’ facility, it is also difficult to significantly increase capacity.

Amidst this saturation, a method called ‘hydrolysis decomposition’—which dissolves the body using a chemical solution rather than heat—is attracting attention in Korea as a realistic alternative. Hydrolysis decomposition, which uses alkaline solution, heat, and pressure to hydrolyze remains, presents fewer environmental pollution issues and less possibility of public complaints.

Hydrolysis decomposition involves placing the body in a high-pressure metal chamber, adding water and an alkaline solution, and heating it at around 150 degrees Celsius to carry out decomposition. The photo shows a hydrolysis decomposition facility located in Pretoria, South Africa. Photo by The Guardian

Currently, hydrolysis decomposition is legally permitted for both humans and animals in over 16 countries worldwide, including 36 states in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. However, in Korea, it is still only allowed for animal funerals. A representative of the local funeral industry remarked, “The number of deaths increases rapidly each year, yet cremation facilities and cemeteries are extremely insufficient. Rather than rejecting unfamiliar methods, it is necessary for society to reconsider its approach to funeral practices in the context of population density and other practical realities.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.