A British woman concerned about climate change has created an eco-friendly coffin before her death.
According to a report by the BBC, Rachel, a resident of West Yorkshire, stated that she does not want her final act on this earth to contribute to pollution. She explained that she tries to use fewer items and recycle as much as possible.
Media reports highlight that traditional burial methods can also lead to pollution. Non-biodegradable coffins are often made from harmful chemicals, and formaldehyde, a toxic substance used to preserve bodies, can seep into the soil.
Rachel, as an artist, created a coffin for a friend using locally sourced wool, willow, bramble, and ivy. This eco-friendly coffin eliminates the need for a traditional wooden casket. For Rachel, it is more than an art piece, and she has decided to make one for herself as well.
She believes that burying a body six feet deep can take up to 100 years to fully decompose, so she prefers to be buried in a biodegradable coffin in a shallower grave, where the body will decompose more quickly in the upper layers of soil.
In the UK, about 80% of deceased individuals are cremated each year. However, according to an environmental organization, the carbon dioxide emitted from cremating a body is equivalent to the CO2 produced on a round-trip flight from London to Paris.
