Farvel: Zurich-based company wants to revolutionize the funeral market

Since November, the company Farvel has been offering stylish, sustainable urns that combine modern design with environmentally conscious materials. The urns are made from biodegradable wood fibers in Zurich using 3D printing technology and are suitable for burials or as mementos for the home. In collaboration with social institutions, they also offer personalization options such as engraving and a selection of lids made of wood and marble. Their aim is to modernize and individualize the funeral culture.

Swiss funeral market has some catching up to do

Founders Katharina Hogg and Sebastian Kuhn-Prohic are committed to a change in funeral culture and want to create offers that enable a more personal and conscious farewell. The first project - to reshape the traditional funeral market with modern, aesthetic and environmentally friendly urns - was launched this week. The idea for Farvel arose from the experience that there were hardly any urns that met the requirements of contemporary aesthetics. This gave rise to the desire to create modern and stylish alternatives that reflect both sustainability and individual taste. The founders of Farvel quickly realized: "The Swiss funeral market has some catching up to do, especially in terms of individuality and sustainability. We want to expand the range so that the bereaved or those making provisions do not have to make any compromises. The urns are the starting signal, we have lots of ideas."

A new generation

Around 70,000 people die in Switzerland every year - and the trend is rising. Up to 90% are cremated. The generation of millennials is dealing intensively with questions of sustainability and reflecting more strongly on their own death and the legacy they leave behind. "Our generation is getting older, the topic of death, farewell and remembrance is becoming more present. Our lives are shaped by digital spaces, social media, global aesthetics and the breaking of taboos. In our view, there is still plenty of room in the funeral market in terms of the range of products and services on offer," says Sebastian Kuhn-Prohic. "And that's exactly where we come in: We want to approach the topic proactively and think in an unbiased way," adds Hogg.

Diverse creativity from Zurich

They were supported in the design process by Zurich industrial designer René Odermatt. Together with him, three urn models were developed. The brand was developed with Artur Deyneuve, and Yves Bachmann was hired to take the photos. "All talented people from our generation," says Hogg. The two founders, who met 16 years ago at the University of Zurich, are from outside the industry, which they see as an advantage. "Of course, we don't know everything and we might be ridiculed a little. But we ask the right questions. We are sure to develop exciting answers for the last chapter of life," says Kuhn-Prohic.

Closing the cycle with sustainable funerals

The urns from Farvel meet the high standards of sustainability, as they are made from wood fibers that are fully biodegradable and can therefore be returned to the natural cycle. The lids, which are made from European wood, are manufactured at the St. Jakob Foundation in Zurich, which integrates people with disabilities back into working life. The organic cotton ash bag in which the urn is delivered is sewn in the tailoring workshop of the Heimstätten Wil Foundation.

Farvel is aimed at people who are looking for modern, ecological and aesthetic solutions when dealing with death. Every person has their own story. Farvel urns and future solutions are designed to honor these stories and keep people's memories alive.