Tree Pod Burial: How It Works in 2023 (Costs, Locations, & More)

The funerary industry has made strides to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly, but this pales in comparison to some of the innovative practices, including tree pod burials, that are being developed by independent designers across the globe.

According to the Green Burial Council, burials in the United States use about nearly 5 million gallons of embalming fluid and tens of millions of feet of hardwood. Millions of tons of concrete and tens of thousands of tons of metals, including bronze each year. Cremation is more difficult to put into perspective, and while better for the environment, it is not without serious consequences.¹

This leaves the planet with an industry that has a very active role in the destruction of the natural world, but one that is struggling, or refusing, to find innovative solutions. That’s where small startup companies like Capsula Mundi, The Living Urn, Coeio, and many more come in.

These companies are offering solutions to the problems facing the funerary industry using organic burial pods. In fact, they intend to revolutionize how we bury and remember our dead.

Tree pod burial is just one of these solutions, but in 2023, it’s looking pretty promising. Through this unique burial technique, it will soon be possible to grow a tree from human remains. Where once there were barren, grey cemeteries housing the dead, now there can be forests memorializing our loved ones.

From the remains will grow a beautiful tree that can be enjoyed and cared for by your relatives and friends.²

What Is Tree Pod Burial (Tree Burial Pod)?

Back in 2016, two Italian designers, Francesco D’Angelo and Adriano Del Ferro, unveiled their conceptual tree pod burial system now known as Capsula Mundi.³

They devised a concept in which human remains, having been wrapped in natural fiber cloth, are stored within an eco-friendly, egg-shaped pod. This pod is then interred within the ground and a tree is planted directly above it. The body releases nutrients and microbes as it decays, and those feed the tree above it. In essence, a new organism is born from the decomposition of the corpse.⁴

While this concept is still a work in progress, the designers have released a smaller version of the pod designed to hold the ashes of the deceased. Like its larger counterpart, after it is filled with human remains, it is buried, and a tree is planted above it. Given several months or years, the egg biodegrades, and the ashes are released into the soil.⁵

Can You Have a Tree Burial with Organic Burial Pods?

As of yet, the larger version of Capsula Mundi is not on the market and there is no definitive release time. This is because the Capsula for the body still needs to be tested and certified by authoritative bodies.

Until they can do that, your only option is the Biodegradable Urn which is currently available on their website.⁶

How Much Do Organic Burial Pods Cost (Tree Burial Capsule Cost)?

D’Angelo and Del Ferro are still not sure how much tree burial pods will cost, but they expect it will be cheaper than the average funeral which costs about $10,000 in the United States. However, until the finished product is unveiled, the price will remain a mystery.

The Biodegradable Urn, however, starts at $330.00. Currently, shipping is free.

How Do Egg Shape Burial Pods Work (Become a Tree When You Die)?

Theoretically, the process should be pretty simple, but the world will learn more as Capsula Mundi and other companies start releasing their products to the mass market. For now, however, this is the process:

1. The body is placed in a fetal position within the pod. It is not embalmed or otherwise prepared for burial.
2. The body is wrapped in natural fibers.
3. Once the egg is shut, it is planted within the ground in a natural burial site.
4. A tree is planted directly above it.
5. As the egg begins to break down, the body is exposed to the earth and undergoes its own process of decay.
6. Nutrients and microbes from the body then nourish the tree which will continue to grow well after the body has wholly disintegrated.

Where Are Tree Pod Burial Locations?

There are only a few so far, but countries like the US and the UK are establishing natural burial sites for human remains. In these areas, the body is placed within a biodegradable coffin and interred in the ground.

The primary requirement is that the body not be cremated or embalmed, though certain areas do allow for the planting of biodegradable urns. However, the rules differ on a state-by-state and country-by-country basis, so it’s worth doing a little research before deciding what is right for you.

The same goes for burying biodegradable urns on private property. Certain states do not allow human remains of any kind to be interred on private land.

Can I Get a Tree Pod Burial: USA?

You can have your remains interred in a biodegradable urn and planted either on private property or in a natural burial site. However, it depends on the state.⁷

There are different funerary laws for every state, so be sure to do your research before deciding which option is right for you.

Lasting Memorial: Using Bio Urns

Bio urns are built to be similar to body pods but less sustainable and environmentally friendly. Like the pods, they transform human remains (in this case: ashes) into usable substances for the plants growing above them.

Most bio urns are composed of an urn made from biodegradable materials and a mixture of natural additives to support the tree above it in its infancy.

Over a series of months, the bio urn breaks down, allowing the ashes to mix with the dirt and become fertilizer for the tree. In less than two years, the urn will have wholly disintegrated, leaving only a healthy tree in its place.

While it’s easy to imagine a forest grown from these urns, it obfuscates the obvious problems with this funerary practice. For the urn to ever contain ash, the body must be cremated which is proving to be an unsustainable practice, though far superior to embalming the body and burying it in a casket.

Most cremation techniques require the burning of natural gas which leads to the release of greenhouse gases and the vaporization of harmful chemicals that may have been present in the cremated body before death.⁸

As such, bio urns are imperfect creations, but if you are currently in the process of deciding how your body should be treated after death, they are one of the best options. You just need to be aware of the environmental consequences before deciding whether it’s for you.⁹

Where Can I Find Tree Caskets?

Unfortunately, you can’t currently find tree caskets. However, there are other environmentally friendly options. We’ve already mentioned biodegradable urns, but did you know that there’s a Swedish company that can turn a corpse into compost or a burial suit with a built-in bio-mix of mushrooms and other microorganisms that more efficiently transfers nutrients to plant life and neutralizes toxins found in the body?¹⁰

And that’s just two of the exciting eco-friendly alternatives to a casket funeral. In fact, there are new products being designed, tested, and sold every day that can make your funeral a once-in-a-lifetime experience.¹¹

For now, however, if you really want to be turned into a tree after you die, the only way to do so is through bio urns.

If interviews with D’Angelo and Del Ferro are to be believed, there will be more to learn about their Capsula Mundi tree pod burial process in the next couple of years.

There’s more to be done before we can start transforming the human body into a tree, but we’re not far from that future. In fact, every day, innovative companies like Capsula Mundi are getting closer to an eco-friendly alternative to the wasteful, resource-intensive funerals of the now.

But until those concepts can be turned into working products, we’ve still got options. The closest, of course, are the bio urns, but there are others on the market. These urns allow for a similar experience to tree pod burials but still require that the body be cremated before it is placed within the urn.

Other products are also not without their environmental consequences, but that doesn’t mean the world isn’t making progress. In a few years’ time, you could be signing up to become a tree when you die – to have your body transformed into a single tree within a beautiful forest. In the meantime, you can also eliminate your environmental impact by using carbon offsetting tree planting programs to erase the emissions you generate in everyday life.

Simply reach out to one of the top carbon offset providers to get started. Tree pod burials will offer you that opportunity after you’ve lived a long and fruitful existence.

Frequently Asked Questions about Tree Pod Burial