On World Animal Day (4 October), Dutch company Loop Biotech launched the Loop FurEver, a mushroom-grown urn for pets. The design offers a sustainable and meaningful way to say goodbye, turning loss into renewal.

A Natural Goodbye

For many people, pets are part of the family. Saying farewell is never easy, yet it can also be a positive act of care for the planet. The Loop FurEver helps owners honour their pets in a natural and circular way. The urn comes in 0.5-litre and 1.5-litre sizes, suitable for both small and large animals. It can be kept indoors as a keepsake or buried outdoors. Once in the soil, it biodegrades within 45 days, enriching the ground and supporting biodiversity.

Founder Bob Hendrikx says, “Our pets give us unconditional love, yet their last resting place often harms the planet. With the Loop FurEver, memories live on as new life nourishes the soil.”

Grown, Not Made

Each urn grows naturally within seven days from mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms. Mycelium acts as one of nature’s most effective recyclers. By combining it with upcycled Dutch hemp fibres, Loop Biotech creates a strong, light and fully compostable material. Because the urn is cultivated rather than produced, it needs no heat, chemicals or waste. The design continues the company’s earlier innovations, such as the a (human) coffin and urn, which use similar biobased materials.

A Growing Market

The demand for sustainable pet funerals is rising fast. According to Grand View Research (2023), the European market grows by about 11% per year. This increase reflects both a stronger emotional bond between humans and animals and a wider focus on sustainability. Through partnerships with Dieren Uitvaartzorg Nederland and Funeral Products, the Loop FurEver is now available across Europe via funeral centres, crematoria and Loop Biotech’s own webshop.

A Mission to Regenerate Nature

Founded in 2020 in Delft by Bob and Lonneke Hendrikx, Loop Biotech aims to restore balance between people and nature through design innovation. Its mycelium-based products have already been used in thousands of funerals across Europe. With the Loop FurEver, the company extends this mission to pets, showing that even in moments of loss, design can create life again.

Source: Duurzaam Ondernemen / Loop Biotech