Adapted extracts from a letter to the Natural Death Centre from funeral director Roger Gillman. His firm, J. E. Gillman & Sons, was highly commended in the NNew Natural Death Handbook's Good Funeral Guide.
To assist people wishing to arrange a d-i-y (or 'Self-Help') funeral, I am able to sell a simple coffin, without handles or fancy lining, for £40.
The coffin would be of the type used in our basic funeral service. This plain coffin is ideal for painting.
Although the coffin costs me slightly less than £40, to sell at this price is uneconomic when storage and handling are considered. I am offering these low cost coffins for the following reasons:
Strength. The recent home-made coffins that I have seen have left much to be desired. The painted coffin displayed at the Natural Death Centre open day in '97 was actually a coffin shaped box made with thin plywood over a light framework. I doubt if it would be capable of being carried with the weight of the lady without falling apart. Another home-made coffin which we recently handled had slats running across the underneath which would have made it impossible to slide into the cremator. A coffin must be strong enough to fulfil its role and must meet the requirements of the cemetery or crematoria.
Sizes. Coffins need to be of a suitable size for the person who has died. It is an easy mistake to make the coffin too small. Measure someone who was 6' tall in life after they have died. You will find them to be considerably longer lying down. Now dress them and put on shoes and you have a different measurement again. Conversely, a coffin too big might incur additional cemetery charges or might not fit the cremator.
Cremation regulations. The materials, fittings and linings used in the manufacture of coffins for cremation have to follow certain guidelines. Our coffins are suitable for either burial or cremation. I would like to have the opportunity to advise about type of paint, clothing and shoes suitable for cremation. The special plastic lining for coffins (cremfilm) can be provided without cost on request.
Cardboard coffins and environmental concerns. am not a big fan of these ugly cardboard boxes and I am not too sure about their perceived environmental benefits. I believe that the process of producing cardboard is less acceptable than that of producing chipboard. I am concerned about the 'one size fits all' approach and about the performance of the cardboard in respect of holding body fluids for any length of time. I am told that a cremation with a cardboard coffin takes longer and uses more gas. As a member of the Permaculture Association, I am aware that not all the products in my price list are environmentally sound, nor do I necessarily believe everything manufacturers tell me about the origins of their materials. However, I do believe that a chipboard based non-veneered coffin is a reasonable choice for the environmentally concerned.
Having started my career as a coffin maker I suppose I feel worried seeing inappropriate containers being used.
Roger Gillman, J. E. Gillman & Sons funeral directors, 971/3 Garratt Lane, Tooting, London SW17 OLW (tel 020 8672 1557; fax 020 8767 7573).
Some small points: Environmentalists have criticised chipboard coffins for the glues used in their manufacture. The research report on the burning of a Peace Box cardboard coffin in a cremator reported that less energy was used, not more. Cardboard coffins on the market nowadays are reported as being adequately sturdy, and are accepted by 96 per cent of crematoria in the UK. The only one which is inelegant to my eye is the original Brighton one which looks like a large shoebox. The Celtic Casket, the Compakta and the Peace Box all look fine.
Nevertheless, for a family wanting a chipboard coffin, Mr Gillman's offer is the best in the UK, even if you have to pay extra for transport. He even offers free delivery within five miles of Tooting.
This webpage forms part of the Global Ideas Bank (www.globalideasbank.org).
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