A deathbed that rethinks traditional practices, saves material, and creates reusable parts for a positive environmental impact.
Define the problem/need you are solving or addressing with your project. How does it address the Open Call criteria, such as environmental impact, social engagement, circularity, user experience, resource efficiency, and community-driven solutions?
The current funeral culture in Germany often follows outdated traditions and conservative practices, overlooking sustainability. ReTurn introduces a new burial approach that respects nature while ensuring an ecological farewell. Our solution addresses critical environmental concerns by eliminating airtight coffins, thus reducing material and energy consumption and preventing wax corpse formation. By utilizing a biodegradable wool shroud and mycelium, we enhance decomposition and enrich the soil instead of contributing to its pollution. This project promotes circularity and resource efficiency, igniting a community-driven shift toward sustainable burial practices. By offering an alternative that is both respectful and environmentally responsible, ReTurn encourages rethinking conventional methods and inspires a more eco-conscious relationship between life, death, and the natural world.
Please describe your project, reflecting on the concept, inspiration, materials, technical aspects, methods and process(es).
ReTurn reinterprets burial traditions by creating a sustainable alternative that reintegrates the body into the biological cycle. Inspired by nature’s decomposition processes, we designed a biodegradable deathbed featuring a wool shroud and mycelium. The wool allows for breathability and promotes natural decomposition, while mycelium accelerates organic breakdown, enriching the soil rather than contaminating it. Our concept incorporates locally sourced materials and straightforward manufacturing techniques, ensuring accessibility while minimizing environmental impact. We also consider cultural sensitivities surrounding death as we foster ecological awareness within funeral practices.
What do you think makes your project innovative compared to the existing efforts and ideas in the field it addresses?
Unlike conventional burial methods that rely on sealed coffins and slow decomposition, ReTurn offers a fully biodegradable alternative that actively supports soil health. While there are other sustainable burial concepts, our approach uniquely combines a wooden stretcher, woolen shroud, and mycelium to create an effective, affordable, and respectful solution. By eliminating the need for heavy, resource-intensive coffins, we significantly reduce material consumption and minimize environmental impact. Additionally, our method seeks to challenge the funeral industry’s reliance on expensive, energy-intensive solutions, paving the way for a more conscious and accessible approach to funerals
Does it impact or reflect young people need(s) and how?
Young people today increasingly prioritize sustainability and seek environmentally responsible choices in all aspects of life, including death. ReTurn presents an alternative that aligns with contemporary values of ecological awareness and aims to minimize environmental footprints. This innovative solution provides younger generations the opportunity to rethink traditional funeral practices and advocate for more sustainable options. By engaging communities in discussions around natural burial, ReTurn encourages social change and empowers young people to make informed, eco-conscious decisions for themselves and future generations. This project fosters intergenerational dialogue and catalyzes a shift toward practices that resonate with a shared commitment to protecting the planet for the future.
