By Katarzyna Supa, funeral innovation research, editor-in-chief of THANOS magazine

Poland's funeral industry is rapidly adopting eco-friendly solutions, drawing inspiration from other European countries. Notable examples include Montjuïc Cemetery in Spain and FriedWald Cemetery in Germany. The growing public demand for environmentally conscious funeral practices is also a key driving force. Sustainable burial methods align with the principles of sustainable development and the global climate protection goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda.

Pioneers of Ecological Funerals
The first fully ecological individual burial plots, "Trees of Remembrance", were established in 2024 in Kraków and Łódź, both major cities in Poland. The inauguration of the first site was attended by delegates of the FIAT-IFTA 2024 Convention, held in Kraków in September 2024. Just a month later, a similar section was created in Łódź.

Both ecological burial sites are managed by Grupa KLEPSYDRA, the first publicly traded funeral company on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and the undisputed leader in Poland’s funeral services sector. The company has been consolidating the domestic funeral market while boldly introducing innovative solutions to the industry. The introduction of fully ecological burials was a response to social demand and was met with highly positive public reception, generating extensive media coverage from Poland’s leading television networks and business publications such as Forbes and Newsweek.

The ecological section in Kraków, located at the Podgórki Tynieckie Municipal Cemetery, is designated exclusively for urn burials, with 135 plots. In contrast, the Łódź ecological section, situated at the Evangelical-Augsburg Cemetery on Ogrodowa Street 43, accommodates both urn burials (107 plots) and biodegradable coffin burials (17 plots). These are the first individual ecological burial sites in Poland.

These initiatives bring a new standard to commemorating the deceased while aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – promoting inclusive, safe, and sustainable urban spaces, Goal 13: Climate Action – reducing carbon emissions and environmental impact through biodegradable burial materials as well as Goal 15: Life on Land – supporting biodiversity conservation through the thoughtful design of ecological burial grounds.

Would you like to read the whole article?

Read the spring issue of THANOS magazine - you can read online at pages 27-29