You may be thinking “Did I just read that correctly?” or perhaps you may have read it a few times. I had the same thought when I came across this article online. So, curiosity arose and I clicked the link. Of course, a part of me thought it was just some made up site, but I came to find out that this is very real. This new method was created in Italy by Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel and it’s known as “The Capsula Mundi Project.” An overview of the project from the website follows:
“Capsula Mundi is a container with an old perfect shape, just like an egg, made with modern material -starch plastic- in which the dead body is put in a fetal position. Capsula Mundi is planted like a seed in the soil, and a tree is planted on top of it. The tree is chosen when the person is alive, relatives and friends look after it when death occurs.”
Much like choosing a coffin for your funeral, you would choose your tree. Upon death you are placed in a capsule made out of a 100% biodegradable material. Being placed in a pod of this material allows the organic matter to transform into minerals, which in turn, provides the earth with the nutrients for vegetative organisms.
The idea is to promote green cemeteries. Instead of going to a graveyard to see acres of tombstones, you would find a sacred forest. While it sounds amazing, it is not legal in every country. You are currently able to practice types of green burial in the United States and England, but even in its country of origin, Italy, this practice is prohibited.
