When we die, our bodies return to the ground and become one with the soil. However, they usually do so in wooden boxes after they’ve been pumped full of preservative chemicals.
Let’s face it. The modern human burial process causes a lot of environmental damage. While there are a number of companies trying to change that, one company in California is almost ready to bring their solution to the market.
Jae Rhim Lee and Mike Ma are the co-founders of what they call the Infinity Burial Suit (pictured below).
You might also know of the Infinity Burial Suit by its less pleasant nickname: the Mushroom Death Suit. The suit is made with thread infused with mushroom spores. After the body is buried, the spores begin growing, using the decaying body as food. The process, while a little morbid, helps neutralize the contaminants that are usually found in human bodies, such as pesticides and heavy metals.
Of course, properly using the suit requires that the deceased skip the traditional embalming process that’s so common in the American death care industry.
This innovative new suit was announced almost 5 years ago, and it caused quite a stir. Now the product is nearly ready to hit the market.
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The suit’s first human user will be a 63-year-old man by the name of Dennis White. White is currently suffering a deadly neurodegenerative disease called Primary Progressive Aphasia.
Lee estimates that the first version of the mushroom suit will be available for humans sometime this spring. They’re also working on a pod version for pet burials.
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(via Atlas Obscura)
Now that’s interesting. I’m not the biggest fan of mushrooms, but I’m all for leaving a smaller carbon footprint after I’m gone.