It is time to rethink the last rest
A new path towards sustainable cemeteries
At Rip Eco, we believe in honoring memories without burdening the Earth. Tradition says “gravestone,” but we ask: Does a memorial have to weigh on the environment? Since the late 1800s, gravestones have hardly changed. Most are produced in China, transported via heavy freight, and require large amounts of resources—including precious drinking water for maintenance. We believe there’s a better way. Vannstein was our first answer—a new generation of memorials that are not only beautiful and meaningful but also sustainable. With innovations like rainwater collection for self-watering, the reuse of materials like steel and stone, and minimal environmental impact from production to installation, we put the environment first. We envision a future where memorials give back to nature—a final gift that can grow and live on. When you choose Rip Eco, you’re choosing a new way to remember, a way that honours both life and the Earth. Together, we’re making cemeteries greener, more beautiful, and more sustainable for the future.
Our innovation solves 3 problems
It is a waste of scarce resources to use drinking water to irrigate grave sites!
With population growth, economic development, and changing consumption patterns, the demand for water is increasing dramatically. In fact, global water needs have risen by 600% over the past 100 years. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6 aims to ensure sustainable water management and access to clean water for all.
In 2019, 29% of European countries and 38% of the population experienced water scarcity during at least one season. The combination of extreme heat and low rainfall is causing droughts, even in Central and Northern Europe.
Even Norway, known for its humid climate, faces summer droughts. In 2022, an unusually dry and warm summer led Oslo City Council to impose restrictions on drinking water, with water fees rising by over 20% in the 2023 budget. Reducing resource use in cemeteries is thus both economically smart and necessary for many European municipalities.
A heavy-weight problem is that there is too much heavy-weight transport
Hundreds of kilos heavy gravestones transported from other continents leave a significant carbon footprint. Vannstein from Rip Eco is up to 10 times more environmentally friendly than traditional gravestones. With lightweight materials and a design that weighs a tenth of conventional stones, we reduce heavy transportation and promote resource reuse. Instead of using valuable drinking water for maintenance, Vannstein collects rainwater to water plants naturally. Together with Lysstein and Heart Medal, we make it easy to choose eco-friendly solutions for the cemetery—without compromising on aesthetics or respect for loved ones.
Transport from quarry to producer with large vehicles from global to local supplier has a significant impact on the environment through greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide CO2, methane CH4 and nitrous oxide N2O.
Shipping headstones to local storage and handling and so on to the cemetery also requires several heavy-duty transports.
Since existing headstones weigh hundreds of kilos, even a short move back to the local studio for repainting or adding text (e.g. spouse dies) requires heavy-duty transport.
Finally, millions of tons of consumed headstones are moved to their own burial ground (for headstones). Too few care about recycling.
Rip Eco has developed three unique products for a sustainable cemetery:
- Vannstein: Vannstein collects rainwater and recycles nature’s own resources, providing a water source for the cemetery without straining drinking water supplies. Capillary threads adjust moisture levels according to the needs of the plants in the flower bed. The result is a sustainable and cost-effective solution that benefits the environment and reduces maintenance.
- Lysstein: Lysstein offers a solar-powered, illuminated memorial, with no need for electricity or batteries. This natural energy source creates a lasting tribute that lights up automatically at dusk, reducing the cemetery’s carbon footprint. Lysstein is an economical and eco-friendly choice for modern cemeteries.
- Heart Medal: Heart Medal combines timeless design with QR codes that provide access to a digital memory page. By connecting memories to a digital platform, the need for physical objects and memorials is reduced, saving resources while allowing families to preserve and share memories for years to come.
With Rip Eco's products, we are taking action to create a greener future for cemeteries - to the delight of both the environment, society and those left behind.