If you want the memory of your loved ones or family pets to live on you can now immortalise them as a tree . A Barcelona firm has designed a biodegradable urn that is planted in the ground and can be used to grow ash , oak , beech or gingko trees . The environmentally-friendly vessel contains the seed of a tree in the top half that germinates before the roots grow through the section containing the ashes in the lower half . Scroll down for video . The Bios Urn ( pictured ) has been developed by estudimoline . It said it wanted to create something that changed the way people saw death , instead of it being 'the end of life ' it would become a 'return to life ' The Bios Urn have been developed by Barcelona-based Gerard Moline and his brother Roger at design studio estudimoline . They said they wanted to create something that changed the way people saw death , instead of it being 'the end of life ' it would become a 'return to life ' . Relatives or pet owners begin by choosing what kind of tree they want , and seeds currently available include pine , gingko , maple , oak , ash and beech . The ashes are placed inside the urn and the seed is mixed with soil in the top capsule . The urn is then buried in the ground and starts to biodegrade when the roots are strong enough to come into contact with the ashes . Mr Moline said it needs the same care as a standard tree , so needs to be planted somewhere with proper soil humidity and at least three hours of sunlight a day . Relatives or pet owners begin by choosing what kind of tree they want , and seeds currently available include pine , gingko , maple , oak , ash and beech ( pictured ) The ashes are placed inside the urn and the seed is mixed with soil in the top capsule . The urn is then buried in the ground and starts to biodegrade when the roots are strong enough to come into contact with the ashes ( illustrated ) . Bios Urn can be used with any ashes and will keep 'indefinitely ' Bios Urn can be used with any ashes and will keep 'indefinitely ' meaning people can buy them ahead of their death , for example . Equally , it can be used with ash saved from another urn if a person has already been cremated . A Bios Urn costs $ 145 ( £98 ) plus shipping costs and the box comes with everything needed to plant it . The company said : 'Bios Urn offers a smart , sustainable and ecologically friendly way to approach what 's probably one of the most important moments in human life . A Bios Urn ( pictured left ) costs $ 145 ( £98 ) plus shipping costs and the box comes with everything needed to plant it . The firm said the urns need the same care as a standard tree , so needs to be planted somewhere with proper soil humidity and at least three hours of sunlight a day . A similar project being developed in Seattle plans to turn corpses into compost and used as plant food . Called the Urban Death Project , it proposes corpses are placed into a giant tower ( illustrated ) by families and left to decompose . The body would be laid in a mixture of woodchips and sawdust . A similar project being developed in Seattle plans to turn corpses into compost and used as plant food . Called the Urban Death Project , it proposes corpses are placed into a giant tower by families and left to decompose . After six weeks , their body will have broken down into compost . The body would be laid in a mixture of woodchips and sawdust in a three-storey tower . It would then decompose and turns into a nutrient-rich compost , which is removed from the bottom of the tower . 'The intent is to offer users an alternative for remembering deceased people or pets in a natural , sustainable fashion . It is innovative , useful and discreet . ' A similar project being developed in Seattle plans to turn corpses into compost and used as plant food . Called the Urban Death Project , it proposes corpses are placed into a giant tower by families and left to decompose . After six weeks , their body will have broken down into compost . The firm behind the project hopes it will create a new and more eco-friendly way to dispose of the dead . Designer Katrina Spade said she got the idea from animal composting . She plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign later this month to build a prototypes system by 2020 , and admits it also faces legal problems . Designer Katrina Spade said she got the idea from animal composting . She plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign later this month to build a prototypes system by 2020 , and admits it also faces legal problems .
The Bios Urn has been developed by Barcelona-based estudimoline . Relatives can choosing what kind of seeds they want to use with the urn . Seeds currently available include pine , gingko , maple , oak , ash and beech . Ashes are placed in the urn and seeds are mixed with soil in the capsule . The urn is then buried in the ground and starts to biodegrade when the roots are strong enough to come into contact with the ashes . Urban Death Project cost $ 145 ( £98 ) plus shipping costs .