ROME — Two designers in Italy have developed a new way of burying your loved ones that can turn them into trees.
The project is called Capsula Mundi. The body is put into a fetal position in order to fit inside the burial pod, which is made of biodegradable materials, according to the Capsula Mundi website.
The burial pod is then buried in the soil with a tree seed or a young tree planted directly above. The pods come in smaller sizes that could be used for ashes or even for pets.
The burial pod would decompose naturally and provide nutrients for the tree. Each tree is recorded in a GPS system for identification purposes. More burial pods could turn a cemetery into a forest. Thus, friends and family of the deceased would then visit a forest to pay their respects instead of a cemetery full of headstones.
This type of burial is prohibited by Italian law but is legal in some places in the U.S. and Britain. The designers hope to produce the industrial prototype by next year.
