The Container
Source: Facebook @Capsula Mundi
Citing the egg as an ancient and “perfect” form, the designers of Capsula Mundi felt it was the perfect inspiration for returning humans back to nature after death, as well as to help people remember their loved ones while bringing them closer to nature.
Their idea? To bury humans or ashes inside of egg-shaped capsules and then plant the seeds for a tree — elected by somebody before their death — above the pod, which the deceased’s family and friends could then take care of over time.
A New Beginning
Source: Facebook/ Capsula Mundi
“In a culture far removed from nature, overloaded with objects for the needs of daily life and focused on youth, death is often dealt with as a taboo. We believe that this unavoidable passage, so meaningful, is not the end, but the beginning of a way back to nature.”
Trees for Tombstones
Source: Facebook/ Capsula Mundi
So, why plant trees instead of using tombstones? The designers believe that a green graveyard goes beyond cultural traditions and connects us to something larger: Nature’s cycle of transformation.
Capsula Mundi’s website points out that in order to make a coffin, which is only seen for several days, entire trees must be cut down, therefore wasting the decades it took for that tree to mature and slowly destroying our planet. To them, traditional graveyards are akin to parking lots. Furthermore, Capsula Mundi’s containers are 100% biodegradable, coming in larger sizes for corpses in fetal position or small sizes for a person’s ashes.