Modern Farmer
From the Ashes: 3 Companies That’ll Turn Cremains into a Tree
By
Andrew Amelinckx on April 29, 2016
What we now consider traditional burials (but are, in fact, a little more than
100 years old)
are pretty unfriendly to the environment. Embalming fluid is nasty
stuff: it contains formaldehyde, which is a carcinogen. More than
4.8 million gallons
of embalming fluid are buried each year in the U.S. alone.
Additionally, metal caskets don’t biodegrade, concrete vaults use up
natural resources to manufacture, and some cemeteries use herbicides to
keep their lawns looking tidy.
For people who choose cremation, several companies have created
biodegradable urns that, when combined with specific soil mixtures, use
cremains to help grow a tree. In a way, these products hark back to a
time before the creation of the “traditional” burial system—when our
ancestors’ remains went straight into the ground and provided sustenance
for all sorts of plant life— but in a 21st century, space-saving,
environmentally-friendly manner. Here are three companies that have
their own particular products to help you continue the cycle of life.
Bios Urn and Incube
Bios, a Spanish company who wants to “convert cemeteries into forests,” recently raised more than €73,000 (about $82,800) through a Kickstarter campaign for their new product, the Bios Incube.
This gadget pairs with the company’s existing biodegradable urn and
tree-growing kit to allow you to grow a seedling in your home, rather
than find a burial spot. Incube is smart: It tracks your
plant’s temperature, electrical conductivity, solar irradiance, and
soil humidity; using that data, it automatically waters. Roger Moliné, the COO and co-founder, tells
Modern Farmer
in an email says he came up with the idea after receiving requests from
a number of customers who complained of limited cemetery space or
having no place to plant their biodegradable urn.
The Incube can water the tree for up
to 20 days before you need to refill it, and connects to your smartphone
or tablet through an app to keep you alerted to what’s happening with
your seedling.
Bios will begin taking pre-orders
next month on their website and expects to start shipping the Incube to
their Kickstarter funders by the end of the year, with a general release
tentatively scheduled for sometime in 2018. The company is also working
on creating Bios Incube centers where people can have their trees
incubated for them.
“We really believe it can help people who live in big cities with
limited space for burials, and for those who want to take on an active
role in growing something from just a seed,” says Moliné. “We decided it
was okay to bring the process of death and dying up to speed with
21st-century demands and requests. We also wanted to create something
that was environmentally friendly, and could encourage even those who
don’t garden or aren’t used to growing plants or trees, to take on a new
activity and find peace in a different practice.”
Bios Urn: $145 (choice of a five types of trees, including maple, pine, ash, gingko, and beech)
Bios Incube: Tentatively priced at $550 (includes a free Bios Urn)
The Bios Incube. Courtesy of Bios
The Living Urn
Based in Colorado, The Living Urn’s system includes a biodegradable urn packaged in a handmade bamboo container, with a
seedling, wood chips, a proprietary soil mix, and an ash-neutralizing
agent that helps counteract the chemical properties of cremated remains
to produce a balanced growing environment. According to co-founder Mark
Brewer, the company provides seedlings—with a wide range of
between 15 and 20 choices of tree types based on the customer’s growing
zone—instead of seeds, which helps ensure you’ll actually be able to
grow the tree, as seed germination can be tricky for amateurs.
Founded by three life-long friends, the idea for the product was
initially conceived by another of the company’s partners, Brandon Patty,
following the death of a friend. Patty wanted to honor his memory by
planting a tree using his cremains. A few years later the three
entrepreneurs, who all had an environmentalist bent, began working on
the idea, with the help of arborists, soil scientists, and eco-friendly
manufacturers. After about a year-and-a-half, the trio created to The
Living Urn. They have also added a version for pets.
“We feel lucky to have such a great product and are excited to get
the word out and have more and more families be made aware of this
uplifting option that’s available to them,” says Brewer in an email.
The Living Urn: $135 (with choice of tree) or $119 without seedling
Pet version: $119 (with choice of tree) or $99 without seedling
The Living Urn. Courtesy of The Living Urn
EterniTrees Biodegradable Urn
EterniTrees,
which is based in Oregon, uses a proprietary growing medium that helps
release beneficial plant nutrients found in cremated ashes. (On their
own, cremains aren’t actually plant friendly.) The urn holds about a cup
of ashes so there’s the option of planting several trees using the
cremains, scattering some of the ashes, or memorializing them in some
other way. The company offers a choice of around 15 tree types based
on your growing area, as well as a “Personal Choice” urn that allows you
to locally source the seeds you choose to germinate.
If the seed doesn’t grow or an animal
destroys the seedling, the company will send you more seeds and growing
medium, or an actual seedling if seasonable available, for free.
Eternitrees Biodegradable Urn: $98 (includes choice of tree type)
Pet Version: $98 (includes choice of tree type)
The Eternitrees biodegradable urn. Courtesy of Eternitrees
http://modernfarmer.com/2016/04/ashes-ashes-turn-cremains-tree/
