WO2007053078A1

WO2007053078A1 - Ecological burials

Info

Publication number: WO2007053078A1
Application number: PCT/SE2006/001222
Authority: WO
Inventors: Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak; Peter MÄSAK; Andric Van Es
Original assignee: Promessa Organic Ab
Priority date: 2005-10-31
Filing date: 2006-10-30
Publication date: 2007-05-10
Also published as: KR20140050645A; EP1948111A1; KR20080077965A; EP1948111A4

Abstract

The present invention relates to the two coffins to be used at Promession, ecological burial, whereby it comprises a material having a C:N:P ratio and a content that provides for a total C:N:P ratio of 170:16:1 in the soil when mixed with the remains of a dead body, and comprising a texture providing element to further the optimal circumstances for mouldering in the top soil.

Description

TITLE

ECOLOGICAL BURIALS

DESCRIPTION

Technical field

The present invention relates to the two coffins used for an ecological burial, also called promession.

Background of the invention

Traditionally burials are either in the form of earth burials (six feet under) or in the form of cremation burials. However, this is undergoing a change towards ecological burials, where a corpse in a frozen, fragmented and dried condition is buried in a shallow grave to provide for mouldering of the remains. The corpse will thereby form part of the organic cycle of life and thereby contribute to the living soil with nutrients as well as avoidance of pollutants to be emitted to the air, leaking to the ground water or the living soil, as is the case with earth burials and cremation.

However, shallow burials (Promession) as such lead to a number of technical problems with regard to safetiness and design of the coffin used, as well as the biochemical conditions of the mouldering process, which technical problems have to be considered when mouldering a human or animal body.

The latter aspect is of considerable importance as fragmented, dehydrated remains can give different problems with regard to the mouldering environment and conditions. Thus the conditions for macro and micro organisms for obtaining an ideal, rapid mouldering process have to be taken into consideration as well as the physical condition of the rehydrated remains when once buried to provide a good access to the said macro and micro organisms.

Summary of the invention

The present invention will solve the above indicated technical problems by means of coffins to receive the fragmented and dehydrated remains of a body which coffins provides for a nutritional balance to the macro and micro organisms involved, as well as providing for an optimal physical and chemical condition of the remains once rehydrated after burial in the soil. Detailed description of the present invention

In particular the present invention relates to coffins comprising a material, which in combination with the dehydrated remains of a body, result in a C:N ratio of substantially 10 - 20 in the soil, during the whole mouldering process, being the ratio normally present in good living soil layers. The coffins thereby shall have a C:N ratio of more than 20:1 and with organic carbon contents of varying availability for the microbes. More particularly the invention relates to coffins to be used at ecological burials, wherein it comprises a material having a C:N:P ratio and a content that provides for a total C:N:P ratio of 170:16:1 in the soil, when mixed with the remains of a dead body having a C:N:P ratio of about 18:3:1 , and comprising a texture providing element, as well as mouldering promoting additives.

It is one object to design a shape of the coffins being suitable with regard to logistics, promession (adapted term for burial of freeze-dried corpse, i.e., an ecological burial) and storage. Material in the coffins shall stand storage time (in dry storage).

The first coffin (the transport coffin) is simple and cheap. Though design shall be appealing and contribute to the spirit of the concept of the organic cycle. The coffin is made of wooden chips having a size of 3 to 12 mm and preferably made of in principal hard wood, . to receive the optimal pH and texture of the residues.

The coffin at the same time provides a structure to frame element giving water- permeability, oxygen and micro/macro organism availability to the remains once rehydrated after burial. The pH regulation and the buffer capacity (pH 6 - 8), that is also essential for the bioactivity, is also provided in the coffin material and/or additives.

It is of course permitted to enclose/implement stuff of organic origin to initiate and hasten the creation of humus within the process of biodegrading/mouldering/decomposing. The transport coffin shall be able to carry a visible registration/identification number that is probably to be inserted with the remains into a second coffin (a dust coffin).

The second coffin (the dust coffin) shall partly degrade within a few days in order to obtain direct contact with soil. Only a perforated shell surrounding the remains shall degrade as slowly as it is needed to protect the content. The buried material shall be mouldered within 6 - 12 months in soil (at least 2/3 part). Only an Id chip present shall stand the degrading environment once buried. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the coffin is made of a material substantially consisting of organic carbon compounds, said compounds being substantially free of nitrogen and phosphorous moieties.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention a first coffin is made of a cellulose material.

In another further preferred embodiment of the invention a second coffin is made of a starch product.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention it comprises an outer coffin made of cellulose material, and an inner facing made of a starch product. In the case it comprises an outer shell this may be made of for instance polylactic acid or synthetic polyestermaterial, and the inner facing is made of a starch product as for instance Mater- Bi™.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention the additive is a material of organic origin to further improve the conditions for mouldering. Such additives consist of selected and dried micro organisms, pH-buffering agents to maintain a suitable pH during moulding,; agents for providing a sustained mouldering process (cellulose, starch), thereby providing both a quick and lasting addition of nutrients to the soil and growing plants therein;

In another preferred embodiment of the invention the texture providing element present consists of for instance wooden chips or turf.

In another further preferred embodiment of the invention the wooden chip is made of hard wood.

In another further preferred embodiment of the invention the shell of the coffin thereof is perforated.

In another further preferred embodiment of the invention, the coffin further comprises a locking element to lock/anchor a coffin to the ground.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention the locking element is a brim formed at the bottom and lid joint of a coffin. In another preferred embodiment of the invention the locking element is connector to close against a ground screw.

In another further preferred embodiment of the invention the coffin is provided with an internal and/or external skeleton.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention an internal skeleton is an iron net withstanding corrosion for at least 24 months.

In another further preferred embodiment of the invention, having an external skeleton withstanding corrosion for at least 24 months.

It shall be possible to carry the second coffin by two/three or four persons.

Sizes of the dust, second coffin

• The coffin shall not exceed the height of: 200 mm

• The coffin shall not exceed the width of: 1000 mm

• The coffin shall not exceed the length of: 1000 mm

• Total weight (all included) maximum of 40 kg (remains will normally not exceed 30 kg)

In order to meet the requirement of optimising the C:N:P ratio of the content including coffins, when the content consists of the remains of a human body showing the C:N:P ratio 18:3:1 , the dry matter content of the coffins will preferably provide a C:N:P ratio of 100:0:0 calculated the coffins have a weight of its own of about 10 kg and the remains have a weight of about 25 kg, all in total providing a C:N:P ratio of about 170:16:1 in the soil. The foregoing means that the coffins are based on high carbon content materials such as cellulose (transport, first coffin) and starch (dust, second coffin).

The invention will be described more in detail in the following with reference to a number of preferred embodiments, however, without being restricted to those embodiments.

Example 1

When preparing for promession (adapted term for freeze-drying of corpse in connection with burials) the frozen corpse is placed in a first coffin (transport coffin) which also becomes deep-frozen by using liquid nitrogen, whereupon the coffin and corpse are subject to fragmentation, whereupon the residues are subject to a drying process to eliminate a substantial part of water present (normally 70 %).

Once buried the wooden chips will provide a coarse texture to the rehydrated material of the remains, and these will not allow setting to a thick, wet mat being harder to the macro and micro organisms to attack.

It is of course permitted to enclose/implement stuff of organic origin to initiate and hasten the creation of humus within the process of biodegrading/mouldering/decomposing. Subsequently, the residue obtained, i.e., first coffin material, enclosing and corpse residues, are placed in a second coffin (the dust coffin), which should withstand water (in case of rain fall during the funeral ceremony, which according to different traditions may take place outdoors). The second coffin is in this case made of a material, which withstands rainfall, but will perforate/dissolve under the penetration of continuous moisture load as appearing in the soil. Such a second coffin consists of a perforated starch shell. The corn or potato starch shell has different layers with varying solving/mouldering properties and is coated with a hermetically tight, but thin film of organic origin, i.e. wax or paraffin-wax.

Example 2

A temporarily used casing, hermetically tight, used only during storage of the second coffin with its contents of the remains, as Example 1 , can also be used and reused. (This is instead of the wax/paraffin-wax coating, as Example 1).

The casing can as well serve as a decorative and appealing cover during the ceremony and as well a protection against rain. Before burial at the graveyard, the casing is stripped off.

After burial the second coffin will fall apart due to its dissolving properties, cf. Example 1, and the dehydrated remains of the body mixed with the wooden chips having formed part of the first coffin will rehydrate, and the mouldering process is activated.

Example 3

The first coffin (simple and cheap) made of wooden chips in accordance with Example 1 is filed with the frozen corpse. The first coffin is afterwards put in a decorative "second coffin shell" or is covered with a proper cloth, just for the ceremony. The first coffin is lifted out/recovered and stored after the ceremony, properly waiting for the promation (adapted term for the actual burial of the freeze-fried corpse), as in Example 1.

Anchoring of the dust, second coffin and protection against wildlife Type A

At the actual burial the dust, second coffin with its content is buried, whereby the coffin is locked to an earth bound anchor, such as a ground screw in order to avoid any risk of having an animal digging up the coffin, as it is placed in a shallow grave, 25 to 50 cm below surface. Hereby the coffin is provided with a connector locking to e.g., a loop formed on the top of the screw, or vice verse.

Type B

The locking element of the coffin may be a brim formed at the bottom and lid joint of coffin, i.e., the joint surfaces or edges between a bottom part and a lid part are extended sidewise to form a brim, which when the coffin is put into the ground will form a locking element due to its large surface.

Type C

The coffin may have a construction that contains an "internal skeleton", shaped as a rigid net or web, made of material that is a bit slower degradable (1 - 5 years) than the rest of the construction and the remains.

Type D

The coffin can be fastened along the edges with anchor bolts (preferably made of slowly degradable material (1 - 5 years)) clubbed/screwed into the ground before closing the grave.

Type E

The grave can (after closing) be covered with a piece of pre germinated grass lawn (1 ,5 X 1 ,5 m), grown on iron net, as an "external skeleton" (instead of grass it can of course be a "flower wallpaper" or something similar).

The iron net can be fastened along the edges with "anchor bolts" (preferably made of slowly degradable material (1 - 5 years)) clubbed/screwed into the ground.

Type F

The coffin in the grave can be covered with a slowly degradable cloth/canvas before closing. If necessary there can be used a type A solution to be even more secure. All the above solutions can of course be combined in a number of ways.

Claims

1. Coffin to be used at ecological burials, characterized in that it comprises a material having a C:N:P ratio and a content that provides for a total C:N:P ratio of 170:16:1 in the soil, when mixed with the remains of a dead body, and comprising a texture providing element as well as a mouldering promoting additive.

2. Coffin according to claim 1 , wherein the coffin is made of a material substantially consisting of organic carbon compounds, said compounds being substantially free of nitrogen and phosphorous moieties.

3. A first coffin according to claim 2, wherein the coffin is made of a cellulose material.

4. A second coffin according to claim 2, wherein the coffin is made of a starch product.

5. Coffin according to claim 1 , wherein the mouldering additive comprises a material of organic origin to further improve the conditions for mouldering, such an additive being selected and dried micro organisms; pH-buffering agents to maintain a suitable pH during moulding; agents for providing a sustained mouldering process (cellulose, starch), thereby providing both a quick and lasting addition of nutrients to the soil and growing plants therein.

6. Coffin according to claim 4, wherein it comprises an outer shell made of for instance polylactic acid or synthetic polyestermaterial, and an inner facing made of a starch product as for instance Mater-Bi.

7. Coffin according to claims 2-5, wherein the additive is a material of organic origin to further improve the conditions for mouldering.

8. Coffin according to one or more of claims 1-6, wherein the texture providing element present consists of wooden chips.

9. Coffin according to claim 7, wherein the wooden chip is made of hard wood.

10. Coffin according to one or more of claims 1-6, wherein the texture providing element present consists of foamed mineral material.

11. Coffin according to claims 1-9, wherein the shell thereof is perforated.

12. Coffin according to one or more of claims 1-9, further comprising a locking element to lock/anchor a coffin to the ground.

13. Coffin according to claim 11 , wherein the locking element is a brim formed at the bottom and lid joint of a coffin.

14. Coffin according to claim 11 , wherein the locking element is connector to close against a ground screw.

15. Coffin according to claim 1 , wherein the coffin is provided with an internal and/or external skeleton.

16. Coffin according to claim 14, wherein an internal skeleton is an iron net withstanding corrosion for at least 24 months.

17. Coffin according to claim 14, having an external skeleton withstanding corrosion for at least 24 months.