A biodegradable casket made from mushrooms serves as an innovative, eco-friendly option for burial. Bob Hendrikx, founder of Loop Biotech, created the casket known as the 'Living Cocoon', marking North America's first use in a burial. It is crafted entirely from mycelium, taking only seven days to grow and fully biodegrading in approximately 45 days. This approach aligns with a broader trend towards eco-conscious burial alternatives, reducing the environmental impact of traditional caskets, which can take decades for decomposition.
"I'm probably the only architect who created a final home," Bob Hendrikx tells The Verge. Tombs and catacombs aside, Hendrikx might be the only one to make a final home using mushrooms.
The casket, which Loop Biotech calls a 'Living Cocoon' and sells for around $4,000, is made entirely of mycelium and can be grown in seven days.
The mushroom casket gives people one more option to leave the living with a gentler impact, part of a growing array of what are supposed to be more sustainable alternatives to traditional burials.
Mycelium has also had a moment in recent years, with other eco-conscious designers making biodegradable packaging, leather, and bricks from the material.
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