CHINA: Coffins made of paper may become a new and environment-friendly alternative for Hong Kong residents

Coffins made of recycled and compressed paper are showcased in Hong Kong to encourage people to help the densely-populated territory cope with pollution. The skyscrapers and city space of Hong Kong leave little room for graveyards to service the island's population of seven million. Struggling also to cope with pollution, Hong Kong may find a solution to saving space and the environment with the help of coffins made of recycled and compressed paper. A recent exhibition in Hong Kong displayed these caskets, decorated in different colours and designs, to promote a more environment-friendly alternative to the traditional wooden coffins. These coffins cost half as much and take almost half an hour's less time to burn than wooden coffins. "The coffins are made of compressed paper and are cheaper than the wooden coffins. We are sure about this. Secondly, it's more environment-friendly because our experience indicates that the cremation time for those coffins is shortened by 26 minutes. We want to provide more choices for the elderly people and they can choose either wooden or coffins made from paper. We encourage elderly people to choose these coffins made from recycled paper, which can help to protect the environment," said Josephine Lee, senior manager of St. James Settlement. The exhibition also sought to ease Chinese taboos toward discussing death. "I met some open-minded, elderly people. They told me they would like to have their ashes scattered into the ocean or park after they died, so that they can return to nature. That's why I decorated the coffin to make it look like a park, and simulate the atmosphere of a park for the body inside the coffin," said Montagut Chen, an artist decorating a casket at the exhibition. Caskets tailored for pets were also on display. Hong Kong is packed to the seams. Space is limited in the densely populated territory and as a result, cremations have become more popular than burials. Such concerns have the island's elderly re-thinking their options for burial. "Nowadays, land has become so precious, where can we find the land for graveyards? Even some graves are dug up for cremation, and the ashes are put inside containers. We should use cremation, so we would not waste the land," said Tam Wai-Ching, a visitor at the exhibition. The move to environmentally friendly coffins could be timely, as campaigners increasingly call for effective policies to clean up the territory's polluted air and seas.

ITN Source | October 29, 2007

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