Kamal Ghorui
Loop Biotech, established in the Netherlands, intends to radically shift people’s perceptions of burial and cremation. The company’s founders, designers Bob and Lonneke Hendrikx, grow funeral goods from mycelium, a mushroom’s underground root network. They came up with the idea while studying at Delft University of Technology, when they became concerned about the environmental impact of typical funeral services. Wooden coffins are made by cutting down trees, whereas cremation emits carbon dioxide and other pollutants.Loop Biotech presents its work as a genuine alternative that can comfortably coexist with the traditional ceremonials, leaving a lighter footprint on the earth. Their products are not only grown, but they also undergo a design process to decompose naturally in the soil. The firm maintains that, at the time of death, there is no need to harm the planet, but that the body, however, can feed the earth again, silently and without pollution that lasts for a long time.
This mushroom coffin decomposes in weeks and feeds the soil instead of polluting it
Loop Biotech’s approach centres on collaboration with living systems rather than industrial materials. The company grows its products using mycelium combined with upcycled hemp fibres. Mycelium acts as a natural binding structure, replacing glues, metals, and chemical treatments often used in coffin production. At the firm’s growing facility in Delft, these materials are cultivated into finished forms in around seven days. The process requires little energy and produces no toxic waste. Once buried, the material begins to decompose only when it comes into contact with soil and moisture, allowing it to be stored safely before use.
Mycelium as a natural recycler
Mycelium has gained attention in recent years for its ability to break down organic matter and release nutrients back into the soil. Underground, it plays a central role in nutrient cycles by connecting plants and decomposing dead material.Loop Biotech uses this property to create funeral products that actively enrich the soil rather than sealing it off. According to the company, the material fully decomposes in about 45 days, supporting microbial life and improving soil quality around the burial site.
The Loop Living Cocoon as a burial alternative
The company’s best-known product is the Loop Living Cocoon, described as the world’s first mushroom-based coffin. It is designed to fit standard burial plots and funeral equipment, with six jute handles that allow it to be carried like a conventional coffin. The cocoon is tested for strength, stability, and water resistance and can carry up to 200 kilograms. It comes in one size intended to suit most adults. Loop Biotech says funeral homes do not need to change their procedures to accommodate it.
Urns and beds designed for soil return
Alongside the coffin, Loop Biotech produces other burial options. The Loop EarthRise urn is made from the same mycelium and hemp mixture and can be used to grow a tree or plant if placed in soil. The Loop ForestBed is a simpler burial product intended to rest directly in the ground, allowing close contact with soil organisms. Each product follows the same principle of full biodegradability and nutrient return.
Prices converted into US dollars
Loop Biotech is showing its prices in euros. By using an approximate exchange rate of 1 euro to 1.08 US dollars:
- The Loop Living Cocoon, which is priced between €1,495 and €1,806, converts to about $1,615 to $1,950.
- The Loop ForestBed, which is listed between €995 and €1,306, converts to around $1,075 to $1,410.
- The Loop EarthRise urn, which is priced between €95 and €195, converts to roughly $103 to $211.
Depending on the region and funeral provider, prices may be different. Besides prices, local taxes and services might also be added to the total cost.
Fitting into existing funeral practices
One reason Loop Biotech has attracted attention is its effort to avoid disruption. The products are designed to work within current burial systems rather than replace them. Cemeteries do not need special plots, and cremation is still possible for those who choose it. The company presents its work as an option rather than a statement, aimed at people who want a lower impact choice without changing familiar rituals.
Environmental questions around death continue
Funeral practices are rarely discussed in environmental debates, yet their impact is ongoing. Loop Biotech’s work sits within a wider conversation about how daily systems, including those surrounding death, affect land use and emissions. The company does not claim to solve these issues alone. Instead, it offers a small shift in direction. Its products suggest that even at the end of life, materials can return quietly to the ground, without leaving behind concrete, metal, or smoke.
