A woman in her 70s has become the first person in Australia to be buried in a coffin made from mushrooms, marking a significant step toward eco-friendly funerary practices. The burial took place on Friday at Springwood Cemetery in the Blue Mountains, where friends and family gathered to honor her. The mushroom coffin, developed by the Dutch company Loop Biotech, is made from mycelium—the root-like network of fungi—and hemp fibers. It is grown in a controlled environment using a mold, taking about a week to form. Once buried, it breaks down in roughly 45 days, turning into nutrient-rich soil. This is much faster than the decomposition of a traditional wooden casket, which can take up to 50 years. The coffin's creator, Bob Hendrikx, founder of Loop Biotech, noted that while Carolyn is the first in Australia to be buried in such a coffin, thousands have been used in Europe and the United States. He explained that interest in Australia was strong five years ago but was limited by challenges in shipping the product. Hendrikx hopes that these mushroom coffins, which weigh about 30 kilograms each, can help make the Australian funeral industry more sustainable by speeding up decomposition and enriching the soil. Carolyn’s husband, David, said the choice of a mushroom coffin reflected his wife’s deep commitment to giving back to nature. "She was always there to help others," he said. "It feels very true to who she was that even after her death, she can still do something for others while giving something back to nature." Dr. Hannah Gould, a cultural anthropologist at the University of Melbourne, believes there is a growing interest in environmentally friendly funeral practices. She noted that as people become less religious, other values and community groupings become more significant, with eco-death being one such trend. She mentioned that the idea of returning to the earth after death has gained popularity, especially as more people live longer and face the reality of prolonged illness and the need to plan for death. While about 70% of Australians choose cremation, which has a notable environmental impact, alternatives like alkaline hydrolysis, natural burials without embalming, and shallow burials have become available. Natural burials using a cardboard coffin with rope handles emit less than 10 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent, according to PlanetMark analysis. Gould believes that as Australians spend more time thinking about how to depart and farewell loved ones, there is a rising interest in alternative, more sustainable funeral practices.