This Dutch startup company makes mushroom coffins that biodegrade in 45 days

The Dutch company, Loop Biotech, makes coffins and urns that are available for purchase in Europe and the United States, with names like the “Living Cocoon,” “Forest Bed Coffin,” and “Earth Rise Earn.” The company’s coffins allow human remains to become food sources for the earth. 

Founders Lonneke Westhoff and Bob Hendrikx grew the company from a college project at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. They were inspired by the mushroom and how it can take dead fallen trees and create new life. The pair aims to “give humanity a positive footprint” by upcycling hemp and mycelium, which grow inside a mold, allowing the coffins to become biodegradable within 45 days.

Prices range from 695-995 euros, with prices still being worked out in the United States. 

For more information see Saleen Martin “This Dutch startup company makes mushroom coffins that biodegrade in 45 days” USA Today, May 25, 2023.