Hurlu Design in the UK have recently released a beautifully designed paper mache coffin made from newspapers with both a tree and wildflower seed tablet in a recess at the top of the container.
The idea is that you bury your pet dog, cat, chicken in the paper mache container with the seeds inserted at the top. The plants will draw nutrients from the pets body and so with that the new tree will be composed of the same organic matter as the deceased pet.This process offers a slightly more ordered way of doing what many of us do already. And offers an elegant way of getting children involved in saying goodbye - and hello again as trees and plants grow.
I love this idea. It is hardly revolutionary, but it does invite involvement and a kind of formalisation for back yard pet burials. It is also low cost, ecological, and sustainable - giving back to the earth what the pet's life would have used. Nicely balanced.