Urneco, the Ecological Second Life Urn

HECO Innovation Chanvre Inc. is determined to take action and offer innovative solutions to the products of highly polluting funeral traditions, by developing and promoting an entirely biodegradable ecological urn made essentially from recovered and recycled biomaterials. According to demographic trends, Quebec will pass the symbolic milestone of 100,000 deaths a year in 2043. As the world's population continues to grow and the footprint of land becomes increasingly scarce, the biodegradable urn is becoming an essential solution for the future.

Given the many problems observed with the process during the development of the initial hemp-lime-based formulation, the use of a mycomaterial to be incorporated into the development of the formulation remains an interesting avenue to explore. The project, which is in line with the circular economy concept, involves developing a formulation, a prototype and a manufacturing process with a low environmental footprint.

In short, this first project will enable HECO to invest in a highly promising new technology and open the door to a range of related business sectors where demand for biodegradable and biosourced solutions is growing and supply is currently lacking.