New eco-coffin design from recycled paper pulp could drastically change burial choices

Our booming human population is putting a huge strain on our natural resources just to maintain the quality of life for the living, but that's only part of the equation. Just as every person has needs during their life, such as food, water, and shelter, every one of those bodies will eventually die and need to be dealt with through cremation or burial. And burying each one in a wooden coffin means that vast amounts of our resources end up 6 feet under the ground. Another issue with some coffins is that they are made from chipboard or MDF and contain formaldehyde and other environmental pollutants, which eventually leach into the ground.

That's why one company designed a coffin from long-fiber recycled paper - to bring a new level of green to funeral industry. The line of coffins (and urns) from DanCof, in Denmark, is a durable, lightweight, and practical solution to reducing our need for trees to bury our dead, by re-using a resource that's already had one life - paper pulp.

The coffins are molded from the pulp, then treated with an environmentally safe water resistant coating, and are 100% biodegradable. Each one only weighs about 13 pounds, compared to the average coffin of 80 pounds or over, which reduces transportation costs because of reduced weight, plus the ability to be closely stacked together for transport.

These coffins can be dyed during the casting process, which gives the buyer options other than the fast food 'clamshell' container look, and they come with built in handles for ease of handling during the burial process. According to the company, ornaments for the coffins are also being considered:

"The coffin ornaments, such as a cross to a Christian person, an anchor for a sailor, hammer and sickle to a communist and many others, are supplied separately for mounting by the customer."

DanCof also designed an eco-urn, made from the same material as the coffins, which will transport or display the remains of a loved one with eco-friendly style.

[via Inhabitat]