If the word Tasmania rings a bell to you, I guess you were one of the kids that watch Sunday morning Loony Toons cartoons. There was this always hungry tornado creature that growled a lot but was also sweet. The Tasmanian Devil. (1)

Well, Tasmania (an Australian island) is making news because of its eco-friendly and tender approach towards funerals. Tasmania’s Community Coffin Club has implemented the flatpack coffin alternative. (2)

Why A Box?

Death is a subject that ironically concerns only the living. The way we view death and the rituals around it has evolved alongside us. Discoveries of ritual burial sites from at least 50,000 years ago had been found. This tells scientists that funeral rituals were used by the Neanderthals in the Stone Age. The Egyptians created the sarcophagus, a stone coffin with hieroglyphics (in Greek: “sacred carving”) about the story of the deceased. Wooden coffins were first used in Medieval times but it was not until the American Civil War that coffins were employed to safely transport dead soldiers’ bodies. 

The coffins (six sides) and caskets (four sides) as we know them today resemble the fashion of the Victorian era where funerals were a fancy, expensive event. They added to the coffin elements such as grave ornaments, burial shrouds, breastplates, and brass handles. (3)

The Death Business 

Nowadays coffins use chemically treated wood products, synthetic glues, paint, and varnish that contain toxic ingredients. This type of coffin does not disintegrate like that old wooden and cloth ones. They are not biodegradable or sustainable for the environment.

In recent years we have become more concerned about our footprint. We recycle and make more sustainable choices in our everyday lives. Thinking about the impact of our death on the environment is important too. 

According to the World Health Organization, more than 100 people die every minute. That was 56 million in 2015, and the projection is that it will be a 25% increase by 2030. These numbers reaffirm that we should be more concerned about our present methods used for our departures. (4)

Though cremation is less harmful to the environment than being buried in a traditional coffin, it is not the more eco-friendly option. Cremation uses a lot of energy and releases harmful greenhouse gases. (5)

Environmentally Friendly Approach

Few companies around the world are focusing their efforts to create more eco-friendly funeral options from woven and wicker coffins, water cremation, burial shrouds to flatpack coffins.  

This last one is embraced by the Community Coffin Club in Tasmania. The flatpack coffin is not only an environmentally friendly option but also helps with the grieving process, claims Jenny Cox. She recently lost her brother in law. She thought that using a flatpack coffin would align with her deceased relative’s values. “He was a strong environmentalist and loved the bush.” Added Cox. Flatpack coffins also cut the funeral cost, which goes anywhere from $4,000 to $20,000. Spending more money on your recently passed away love ones does not mean you loved them more, she explains. (6)

We can certainly show respect for the environment throughout the choices we make like the car we drive, the clothes we buy, and everything we consume in our lifetime. However, it is equally important the choices we make when we are no longer around.