Thoughts of a soul reincarnation have been sticking around humanity for thousands of years, and in different cultures nations treat a mortal body in different ways. Some bury it, others cremate, and still others throw it to flesh-eaters for eating-up. Henceforth one more alternative has appeared: there is provided a return of lifeless bodies into the ground in special capsule from which a tree will grow in a while.

The idea of such an unusual eco-burial belongs to the Italian designers Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel. Capsular coffins were named “Capsula Mundi” and have already managed to acquire popularity on different international exhibitions. The idea is as plain as day: to return whence we came, to become a part of nature having left not only a headstone but a real tree which would keep memory of the deceased for a long time.

The capsule looks symbolically resembling an egg in shape, the body of the deceased is positioned in fetal pose, allegedly returning in its “beginning” position. Capsule’s walls are made of Green plastics which will gradually decay. Eco-coffin is being dig into the ground like an onion; a tree seedling is being planted above it. The designers presumed to offer different kinds of trees for planting, so, you can choose what tree you want to “be”. In a while such cemeteries will be turning into memorial groves which will do good for our long suffering planet.

Today the project is in developmental stage because the Italian government bans such burials. If the designers can get permission they hope that people will take the idea to leave behind a bloomy garden but not a rock-solid desert with an enthusiasm. Ecologists assure that it is much better to become a fertilizer for a new tree than to cut the next tree and knock together a coffin. Essentially, everybody beats the spread because children and grandchildren will have a place where they will be able to honour memory – a symbolic tree, and they will be able to have rest and think about the eternal in the shade of it.

We have known in Instagram how the social web users addressed the initiative. Meanwhile, there are only a dozen of posts with a hashtag #ecoburial. But that will do to gather the first opinions in this respect.