Many manufacturers of coffins of various styles and types now claim ‘eco’ credentials, this I fear has more to do with gaining market share than genuine concern for the planet. Without international standards or regulation it’s time to consider the issues not the aesthetic look of the products available.
My own company, JC Atkinson, was voted The Sunday Times Greenest Company 2008. Our own journey to improve our environmental impact started more than ten years ago and the work to date has been extensive but not always recognised within the funeral trade.
Consumers are increasingly driven by green concerns as evidenced by the increasing market for eco coffins and green funerals. As ever, though, they are also driven by cost concerns and we are fully aware that funeral directors have to satisfy both needs. But green doesn’t necessarily mean more expensive.
There are a growing number of ‘eco’ coffins on the market that are heavily branded as such and are there to appeal to the green consumers. It is becoming more obvious the traditional coffin is being excluded from this market as it is not seen or promoted as a viable green option. For example I have seen several company brochures with sections for traditional wood coffins in chapel settings with gold handles and emblems followed by an ‘eco’ section with willow/cardboard/bamboo coffins in woodland scenic backgrounds. It is fairly obvious a ‘green consumer’ will select a coffin from this section, by-passing the traditional coffins.
We understand to compete we too need to market our journey to you the funeral director. I am not stating consumer choice is wrong but to exclude traditional wood coffins from this section by inference makes them appear environmentally inferior. I would like all funeral directors to consider the following four criteria: is it sustainable; can it be recycled; will it biodegrade; what are the manufacturing costs?
Is it sustainable?
Sustainability is all about meeting the needs of today without compromising the future. To this end, it is important to establish that the material the coffin is made of is sustainable and this claim should be backed by independent accreditation or certification.
All our wood coffins are made from wood derived from sustainable sources. All wood veneer style oak, elm, mahogany, wood effect coffins and caskets are available with Forest Stewardship Accreditation.
Can it be recycled?
Coffins have a significant effect on the environment and as an industry we are in a position to minimise this negative impact. Consideration of the materials used in coffin manufacture will help to save and reuse natural resources.
The chipboard we use is Forest Stewardship Council accredited and has a 90% recycled wood content, all derived from the urban wood waste stream.
Will it biodegrade?
For burial, the ability of the coffin materials to break down and decompose to their natural components is crucial. As time passes the linings and handles cannot biodegrade if made from conventional plastic but these could be substituted for natural fibre linings or wood handles.
For cremation obviously decomposition is not an issue. However the wood material will go someway towards balancing out the electricity or gas used in the cremation. In the case of sustainable wood its CO2 emission during combustion will be the same as the CO2 it absorbed during its life, making it carbon neutral which helps to offset the fuel used in the cremation process.
What are the manufacturing costs?
It is important to consider the cost of the manufacturing process in terms of energy, pollution, waste and manufacturing status i.e. ethical and social issues at the place of manufacture.
The majority of coffins we sell are made in our North East factory which is waste free, energy independent and carbon neutral. Achieved in many ways but largely due to the installation of our own combined heat and power generator, this uses our own wood off-cuts to generate our own green electricity and hot water. This generates enough power for all our own needs and even supplies surplus electric to sell back to other power companies. The hot water is used to dry the coffin polish allowing us to use water based polishes thereby cutting down on solvent based polish and saving volatile organic compound emissions. All our winter heating requirements are also provided using a similar wood burner thus making us self-sufficient. This, combined with other initiatives means our factory is unrivalled and we believe it has a minimal impact on the environment.
JC Atkinson welcomes visitors and we are only too happy to discuss how our traditional coffins are ideal for the green consumer. We welcome the opportunity to work with any funeral directors to ensure these benefits are fairly represented in their coffin selection. We believe the investment we have made today will become more relevant as time passes and we hope the products we offer are great value and will always be the first choice in any coffin selection.