The Bios Incubator and Bios Urn will convert the ashes of a loved one into your tree of choice.

Death continues to be an almost culturally taboo subject. Put frankly, it tends to kill conversation, and this despite the fact that it’s biologically inevitable. In some senses, this is understandable; death marks the end. But it needn’t be that way, or so say Barcelona based start-up Estudi Moline.

The topic of death and the process of grief is often sterilised and avoided in conversation for fear of being too taboo to discuss – we want to change that. We believe the end of human life is a remarkable event that has the ability to teach us if we let it – Gerard and Roger Moline

Originally created in 1997 by Gerard Moline, the Bios Urn was relaunched in 2013 with additional support from his brother Roger. The Bios Incubator is an aesthetically pleasing, biodegradable smart soil incubator that houses the Bios Urn. It allows the ashes to provide nourishment and nutrients for a pine seed that then grows into a tree.

To make sure that the sapling grows healthily, Etudio Meline turned to software and hardware engineers to create a sensor that lies on top of the soil. The sensor will water the plant alongside monitoring light exposure, water quality and the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere.

This data is collated and "understood" by an algorithm that then sends this info, (in the form of push notifications), to an accompanying smartphone app, allowing the owner of the tree to maintain it remotely. Once the tree has sprouted successfully, it can be removed from the incubator and planted in a new, and perhaps more meaningful location.

The Bios Urn could challenge the way we collectively view death by reintroducing humankind into the natural cycle of life. Long term, the prospect of forests replacing cemeteries is an uplifting thought.

Sustainability, and by extension, eco-friendly funeral options are a growing millennial concern, so it’s no surprise to see a wave of initiatives like the Bios Incubator appear to satiate this. Coeio's infinity Death Suit is another alternative to the traditional funeral.