PREVIEW

For many people, pets are not just companions but family members – and saying goodbye is among life’s hardest moments. Now, a Dutch company is offering a way to make that farewell more sustainable.

Loop Biotech has unveiled Loop FurEver™, the world’s first pet urn grown entirely from mushrooms. Designed to biodegrade within 45 days, the urn transforms from a vessel of remembrance into nourishment for new life.

"Our pets give us unconditional love. Yet farewells too often end in urns made of metal, ceramic or plastic – products that pollute the planet. That must change," said Bob Hendrikx, founder of Loop Biotech. "With Loop FurEver™, farewell transforms into new life: memories live on while nature is restored."

Available in two sizes – 0.5 litres for smaller pets and 1.5 litres for larger dogs – the urn can be kept indoors as a keepsake or buried outdoors, where it breaks down naturally to enrich the soil.

Each urn is grown in just seven days using mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms, combined with upcycled hemp fibres. Mycelium acts as a natural recycler, binding organic materials together while purifying the earth as it decomposes.

The design follows Loop Biotech’s previous innovations: the Loop Living Cocoon™, a mushroom coffin, and the Loop EarthRise™, a human urn. All share the company’s goal of turning farewells into an opportunity to give back to the planet.

The pet funeral industry has seen sharp growth in recent years. According to Grand View Research (2023), the global market for pet funeral services is expanding by around 11% annually, driven by deepening emotional bonds between owners and pets and an increased demand for sustainable options.

"We see a clear shift: more families are looking for sustainable, nature-friendly ways to say goodbye to their pets," said Amaryl van Ravenhorst of Pet Funeral Care Netherlands. "The Loop FurEver™ offers comfort while directly giving back to the planet."

Peter Biemans of Funeral Products described the innovation as a sign of a wider transformation: "Loop’s mushroom urn is a groundbreaking innovation that fits perfectly with the global movement toward sustainable funeral products. It makes farewells more natural, personal and meaningful."

The Loop FurEver™ is already available in Europe and North America through crematoria, pet funeral homes, selected retailers and the Loop Biotech webshop.