A SPECIAL investigation by Peter John looks at how coffins burned at the crematorium in Hereford are polluting the atmosphere, but how people are starting to choose eco-friendly coffins.

Cremation pollution fears

Standard coffins burnt at Hereford’s crematorium give off a noxious gas, it has been revealed.

But Herefordshire Council says it has no plans to install new equipment to cut those emissions because it is not convinced it would be efficient.

It says the crematorium is one of the most environmentally efficient buildings they run.

Campaigners are calling for greater awareness of the threat to air quality from cremations.

And there are some signs that funeral directors and families are becoming more conscious of environmentally-friendly coffins, though numbers remain relatively small.

Issue has gone "under the radar"

New research shows that only a handful of the countries 300 or so crematoria are fitted with equipment to reduce Nitrous Oxide (NOx), a pollutant given off by the chipboard found in standard coffins. Hereford is not one of that handful.

NOx damages air quality, in much the same way as car fumes, but campaigners say the issue has ‘gone under the radar’.

Campaigners point out that people with stoves or log burners are advised not to burn chipboard because of toxic fumes, but this is exactly what happens at crematoria.

Experts say cremations amount to the equivalent to 3,650 cars driving past the crematorium during the course of a cremation, and campaigners say it is vital people are given more information about eco-friendly options.

Hereford Crematorium was built in 1956 and is run by the council. It has special equipment to reduce highly damaging mercury emissions, but has no ‘de-NOx’ technology installed.

It carries out around 1,700 cremations a year.

A Council spokesperson said: “Whilst there are some Nitrous Oxygen emissions from the Herefordshire Crematorium, we believe these are within the typical emission levels for an efficient crematorium.

“The council evaluates the environmental impact of all of its services on an ongoing basis, but there is currently no clear picture of the efficacy of a specific filtration process to target Nitrous Oxygen, which is why virtually no crematorium in the country has introduced such a measure."

The building is one of the council’s most environmentally efficient buildings with an energy performance certificate rating of A, new LED lighting and also a 30kWp solar system which generates most of its own electricity.

Growing local interest in eco-friendly funerals

Interest in eco-friendly funerals is growing, say a local coffin maker and some funeral directors.

At Cathedral Funeral Services in Hereford they have seen a significant change in the way families want to discuss the materials in the coffins.

“Ten years ago it never came up in conversations. But there is a rising trend of people asking about these things.

“Families often want to go along with the loved one’s wishes if they were interested in conservation or nature.

The firm use Tenbury-based FTP Eco-Coffins, who can supply environmentally-friendly coffins made of things like wicker, willow or seagrass.

“Willow is most popular. It is beautiful.”

But these are mainly for people who plan a final resting place in a natural burial ground, and Cathedral say the vast majority of cremations are done using standard coffins, because of affordability.

A wicker coffin, for instance, costs about £300 more than traditional.

While Cathedral are seeing growing awareness, Shayne Hogg Funeral Directors in the city say they get few enquiries about eco-coffins and points out they can cost twice as much as standard ones.

Increase in business

FTP Eco-Coffins have been in business for 12 years, selling to local funeral directors, and business has steadily increased.

From little more than a hundred coffins in the first year the husband and wife business is now supplying more than 1,000 a year.

“We started out when people were becoming more environmentally aware,” said James Meynell, who runs the business at the Old Rectory, Boraston, with his wife, Amanda, and two other members of staff.

He puts the growing demand down to two things.

“First, the coffins are environmentally friendly and there is a growing interest in that.

“The coffins are both made from renewables, and they do not give off noxious gases.

“But secondly they are more easy on the eye – even pretty, with all the flowers on, if you can use that word in the context of a funeral.”

Weaved coffins imported to UK

James used to run a timber business but switched after a chance conversation with a Polish man who told him he could import weaved coffins.

James decided to try it, approached local funeral directors in Tenbury and Ludlow and surrounding areas and found some very enthusiastic and open to the idea.

Now James not only imports weaved willow coffins from Poland, he also brings in a variety of others from China, including Seagrass, Bamboo and Water Hyacinth.

He says oval shaped coffins are now becoming more popular.

The firm have a small workshop in site to fit out the coffins with liners, bases and pillows, and also can provide hand carts for pulling coffins across uneven paths in natural burial grounds, or urns and caskets.

Like everyone in the funeral business, he has had to adapt to the change in sizes brought on by Britain’s obesity epidemic, and finds he is ordering more and more wider coffins.

The coffins cost around twice as much traditional ones but, whatever the size, you are sure of a greener send off.

It has emerged that Herefordshire Council is the only authority in the country supplied with specially-made coffins that cut Nitrous Oxide emissions.

The Council buy the coffins from a firm called LifeArt in Gloucester for use in public health funerals.

Simon Rothwell, director of LifeArt Coffins UK, said many firms in the funeral sector are now deciding to do something about the environment and he added: “Our approach has been to offer a choice of traditional and personalisable coffins to satisfy a wide range of needs.”