When you are planning your funeral in advance, one of the things you'll need to consider is the type of coffin you will have. From simple to superior coffins, Golden Charter's funeral plans offer a range of options to meet your requirements at a price you can afford.
But in the future, maybe there could be a different option to consider - the Infinity Burial Suit.
As our society becomes more and more concerned with environmental issues, some people are looking at ways to make burials more eco-friendly. The Infinity Burial Suit has been designed to 'return your body to the earth without harming the environment'.
The full-body suit is worn by the deceased as a way of removing harmful chemicals from the burial process and speeding the natural breakdown of the body. As well as being made of completely bio-degradable material, it has a built-in 'biomix' containing mushrooms and microorganisms that aid decomposition, neutralize toxins in the body and transfer nutrients to plant life.
Being buried in the suit basically transforms our bodies into vital nutrients that will enrich the earth and nourish new life.
Improved design
The garment was originally conceived by artist Jae Rhim Lee. She spoke about it in 2011 in a TEDGlobal Talk in Edinburgh and has since worked with American company Coeio to commercialise the suit. The company has improved the design of the suit and the biomix used, incorporating mushroom mycelium instead of spores to remove possible problems with spore germination.
Although no one has been buried in the suit yet, testing is ongoing and the suit is based on well-researched scientific studies which prove mushrooms aid decomposition, disperse and speed delivery of nutrients to plants.
As well as the burial suit, Coeio has now created an Infinity Burial Shroud and Infinity Burial Casket Liner. The shroud lets mourners view the body before burial and can be used in place of a coffin. The Infinity Burial Casket Liner is designed to be used with other green burial containers.
Coeio is not setting out to replace coffins. They say they simply want to promote natural burials and say that their customers can use 'green' coffins alongside Infinity products, with the casket becoming an additional food source for the suit.
If you are deeply concerned about our environment, the Infinity Burial Suit is one way to make sure your last act is environmentally friendly. But there are many other ways you can plan your funeral to be safe for the planet and most of the funeral directors in Golden Charter's network can offer advice on eco-friendly funerals.
To find out how Golden Charter can help your later life planning needs, request a free info pack, or call us on 0808 169 4534.
