Delft-based scale-up Loop Biotech has reached an important international milestone with its launch in Australia and New Zealand. The expansion follows the first Australian farewell using a Loop Living Cocoon, which took place in the Blue Mountains near Sydney.

Grown from natural materials

The Loop Living Cocoon™ is grown from local mushrooms and upcycled hemp fibres. Loop Biotech describes the product as 100% natural, biodegradable and soil-enriching. The coffin is designed to return naturally to the earth after burial.

The product was developed by Loop Biotech in Delft as a nature-based alternative within the funeral industry. With its expansion into Australia and New Zealand, the company is bringing this approach to families in new international markets.

First Living Cocoon farewell in Australia

On 4 September, an Australian family chose the Loop Living Cocoon for the farewell of Carolyn, a woman in her seventies. The farewell service took place in Faulconbridge, followed by the burial at Springwood Cemetery in the Blue Mountains.

The Living Cocoon is grown from mycelium and upcycled hemp fibres. According to Loop Biotech, it takes seven days to grow and, under suitable soil conditions, becomes part of the soil again after approximately 45 days.

For Carolyn’s family, the decision was mainly about choosing a farewell that reflected her connection with nature.

“This feels so fitting for Carolyn. She was always there to help others. It feels very characteristic of her that even after her passing, she can still give something back to other people and to nature.”
Donald, Carolyn’s husband

From Delft to Australia

The Living Cocoon started as an idea during founder Bob Hendrikx’s graduation project at TU Delft. Today, Loop Biotech’s products are used in more than 12 countries and have been part of more than 10,000 funerals and memorial moments worldwide. In 2025, the Loop Living Cocoon was recognised by TIME as one of its Best Inventions.

The Australian launch represents another major step in the company’s international growth.

“Five years ago, this existed only as an idea at TU Delft. The fact that an Australian family has now chosen this for the first time is incredibly special. We hope to give families another way to leave something positive behind, a final gesture that also gives something back to the earth.”
Bob Hendrikx, founder of Loop Biotech

Loop Biotech’s introduction in Australia has been made possible through an exclusive partnership with Arrow Bronze, which distributes the Living Cocoon to the Australian funeral sector.

A growing interest in nature-based funerals

According to Asha Dooley, Managing Director and Funeral Director at Grace Funerals, conversations around more sustainable funeral options are becoming increasingly common in Australia.

The Australian milestone shows how an innovation that started in Delft is now reaching families on the other side of the world while staying focused on Loop Biotech’s core idea: developing funeral products that are designed to give something back to nature.

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