As more Ontarians look to reduce their environmental footprint in both life and death, a new eco-friendly option is sprouting up at cemeteries: coffins and urns made of mushrooms.
The Mount Pleasant Group, which operates funeral and cremation services across the Greater Toronto Area, has introduced biodegradable products from Dutch company Loop Biotech, describing them as “a new era” in sustainable burials. The mushroom-based casket, called the Living Cocoon, and the urn, known as EarthRise, are crafted entirely from mycelium—the root structure of mushrooms—blended with hemp fibres. The products are made without wood, metals, or chemicals, and can be grown in a mould in just seven days using significantly less energy than traditional methods.
“The mushroom casket biodegrades within 45 days in ideal conditions, returning nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen to the soil,” explained Angie Aquino, Mount Pleasant’s president of funeral services. “It’s 100 per cent natural, environmentally friendly, and a beautiful way to give back to the earth.”
Consumer demand for greener options has been steadily rising. Mount Pleasant’s research shows that half of people want eco-friendly funeral products, and nearly two-thirds believe funeral homes should provide them. The company already operates two natural burial sites—in Brampton and Pickering—where bodies are laid to rest without embalming or traditional coffins, minimizing environmental impact.
Experts say this growing trend reflects a broader shift toward sustainability. Juliette O’Keeffe, a senior scientist at the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, noted that natural burials, alkaline hydrolysis, and even human composting (though not legal in Canada) are gaining interest. “The premise with mushroom-based coffins is that they break down remains faster and recycle nutrients more effectively than conventional materials that can linger in the environment,” she said.
Standing beside the cream-coloured casket lined with moss, Mount Pleasant’s marketing director Abigail Brown emphasized the symbolism behind the innovation. “It’s a wonderful option for people who want to be as thoughtful about sustainability and caring for the planet as they were when they were alive,” she said.
With mushroom coffins and urns now available in Ontario, the funeral industry is taking another step toward a greener, more natural way of saying goodbye—one that nourishes the earth as much as it honours the departed.