Most people who start a small business dream of coffee vans and car washes, but Mandurah man Bryce Roberts has brought a new way to help those mourning the loss of loved ones or pets to Western Australia.
Mr Roberts became the state’s only Bio Urns distributor in November, and is easing the grieving process for many.
Bio Urns are a 100 per cent biodegradable urn that takes the ashes of people’s cremated loved ones and grows them into a plant.
Mr Roberts stumbled across the business when searching for a way to honour his beloved pet rottweiler of 10 years, Sabre.
“Sabre died from cancer and I was looking for something to do with the ashes that wasn’t just sticking them in an urn and putting it on a shelf,” he said.
“I eventually stumbled across this which was started in Barcelona, and thought it was a great idea.
“This way you can sort of nurture your loved one and watch the plant bloom, and it’s a brilliant alternative for the environment.”
A Bio Urn takes 10 weeks to biodegrade into the earth, and Mr Roberts hopes the long-term future of the product will help ease the strain on crowded cemeteries.
“A couple of cemeteries already want to stock the product and it’s our hope that one day we’ll be talking about whole plantations or forests,” he said.
“I guess it’s all a comfort thing. People could have the plant in their back yard or wherever they want and from there they can care for it and watch it grow.
“I’ve known people who have grown it into rosebushes because they used to pick roses with their partner, or people who have grown the urn into a fruit tree.”
Bio Urns has also been named as a finalist in the Australian Small Business Champion Awards.
Mr Roberts will find out if his enterprise is a winner on April 1.
For more information on Bio Urns visit treeofmemories.com.au