There were already funeral urns on the market dedicated to something more than serving to store the ashes of our loved ones, but a new development goes a little further and in addition to being biodegradable it allows us to control the growth of a small tree on our mobile .
The ashes therefore become part of that new plant life that we can also monitor its growth with the help of a sensor integrated in the urn that informs us of the temperature of the earth that is part of the urn, the levels of exposure to light or humidity among other aspects.
Cremation and funeral urns have become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional burials. A study by the Berkeley Planning Journal estimated that 71,000 cubic meters of wood, 2,449 tons of copper and bronze, 94,593 tons of steel and almost 1.5 million tons of reinforced cement are used in the United States. Not counting, of course, the amount of water and fertilizer needed to make cemeteries look so green.
Funeral urns are considered a great option in that regard, but they are not perfect. Among other things, a crematorium uses 285 kWh of gas and 15 kWh of electricity on average for each cremation , which is equivalent to a person’s energy demand for one month. The process releases gases that affect the environment, and it is even estimated that 16% of mercury contamination is due to these processes since our fillings usually have this material.
Biodegradable urns have become a good way to minimize the impact of these processes, and the creators of the so-called Bios Incube try to give the concept a bit more momentum with that relationship with our smartphones and especially with that interesting additional purpose, the to help bring a new tree to life. Its creators have started a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, with a cost per ballot box of 120 euros that will begin to reach its buyers in May.
