Green Coffins

Coffins: Friend of the Environment

As society's awareness of the environment increases, the practice of using green coffins becomes widespread as well. After all, no one ever said protecting the environment has to stop at death. Most environmental activists are dedicated to conserving the environment at all costs, and this means being eco-friendly even in death.

One way of doing so is to use cardboard coffins as they are biodegradable. They also reduce carbon emissions as a standard coffin actually emits more carbon than the body it carries. This is because most coffins are made from Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), which produces high amounts of greenhouse gases. Woolen coffins are another example of green coffins. Their benefits to Mother Nature include being natural and containing zero dye. This would appeal to those who like the idea of having their dead loved ones wrapped in a warm blanket.

There has also been a growing demand for green coffins made from lightweight structural materials that are made from waste products. This definitely takes recycling to a whole new level; even the coffins are recycled. Pallbearers would be delighted to know that recycled coffins are generally lighter than the conventional coffin. Good news also comes for the green coffin industry in the form of the enviroboard. This material has been touted as being versatile and lightweight at the same time. It also possesses a high-crush strength core and excellent printing properties. An enviroboard coffin has been proven to emit 60% less carbon than the typical coffin.

Enviroboard Coffins

One coffin-making company has been a pioneer in producing enviroboard coffins. The company uses 97% of recycled fibers in the making of its coffins. These recycled fibers originate from recycled cardboard boxes and sugar cane waste. The green coffins were put to the test by the NATA-accredited Environmental Management Auditors in 2007. The amount of greenhouse gases produced by them was found to be half of that produced by MDF coffins. Furthermore, MDF coffins produce double the amount of carbon emission when cremated compared to these green coffins. The only similarity both MDF and enviroboard coffins share is they are visually similar.

Ecopod 

Another type of green coffin which is making the rounds around the eco-friendly dead is the Ecopod. These coffins are basically molded recycled paper or mineral shell. They are held closed by a cotton banding. Clients can choose to decorate them in different silkscreen patterns or opt for a hand-applied gold leaf. Those who favor cremation are also not forgotten. They can choose to have their ashes stored in an urn made of molded paper acorn.

Crazy Coffins

The use of green coffins has infused funerals with an upbeat feel. Their widespread use has given birth to a demand for the Crazy Coffins line in Britain. One British coffin-making business reveals it has been receiving orders to make green coffins in the shape of airplanes, guitars, ballet pumps and other outlandish shapes. However, although these coffins are environmentally-conscious, they are not very money-conscious. The prices of constructing these Crazy Coffins can go quite high, and they take a long time to make as well due to their unconventional shapes. Also, burial rituals involving these coffins can be quite expensive as two burial plots are needed to accommodate their unusual dimensions.