Sri Lanka turns to affordable and "green" cardboard coffins amid rising COVID-19 deaths

Record ID: 1633624

  • Title: Sri Lanka turns to affordable and "green" cardboard coffins amid rising COVID-19 deaths
  • Date: 24th August 2021
  • Summary: DEHIWALA-MOUNT LAVINIA, COLOMBO DISTRICT, SRI LANKA (RECENT - AUGUST 8, 2021) (REUTERS) WORKERS CARRYING CARDBOARD SHEET TO MACHINE CARDBOARD BEING STAPLED BY MACHINE WORKERS CARRYING CARDBOARD SHEET TO TABLE AND STARTING TO ASSEMBLE COFFIN WORKERS APPLYING GLUE TO CARDBOARD WORKERS ASSEMBLING COFFIN WORKER PRESSING BOTTOM OF COFFIN WITH HANDS VARIOUS OF WORKERS APPLYING MORE GLUE ON CARDBOARD WORKERS PRESSING EDGES OF COFFIN WITH THEIR HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (Sinhala) 35-YEAR-OLD PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR, SASANKA SENARATNE, SAYING: "We use high quality recycled craft paper for the cardboard for the coffins." WORKER TAKING CARDBOARD CELL DIVIDERS FROM A PILE WORKERS PLACING DIVIDERS IN COFFIN WORKERS PUTTING CARDBOARD SHEET ON DIVIDERS IN COFFIN WORKERS PUTTING LID ON COFFIN WORKERS CARRYING CARDBOARD COFFIN AND PUTTING IT ON PILE IN STORAGE ROOM DEHIWALA-MOUNT LAVINIA MUNICIPAL COUNCILLOR WHO INVENTED THE CARDBOARD COFFIN, PRIYANTHA SAHABANDU, CHECKING THE COFFIN SAHABANDU TALKING TO A GROUP OF MEN SAHABANDU TALKING AND PRESSING EDGE OF COFFIN (SOUNDBITE) (Sinhala) 51-YEAR-OLD DEHIWALA-MOUNT LAVINIA MUNICIPAL COUNCILLOR WHO INVENTED THE CARDBOARD COFFIN, PRIYANTHA SAHABANDU, SAYING: "On average, about 400 people die every day (of various causes) in this country. To make 400 coffins you have to cut some 250 to 300 trees. To prevent that environmental destruction I proposed this concept (of cardboard coffins) to the health committee of the council." SAHABANDU GETTING INTO A CARDBOARD COFFIN, WORKERS LIFTING COFFIN TO TEST WHETHER IT CAN HOLD HIS WEIGHT (SOUNDBITE) (Sinhala) 51-YEAR-OLD DEHIWALA-MOUNT LAVINIA MUNICIPAL COUNCILLOR WHO INVENTED THE CARDBOARD COFFIN, PRIYANTHA SAHABANDU, SAYING: "About six months ago, we presented a sample made by this company and got approval from the council. With the spread of the coronavirus, people found it difficult to pay for expensive wooden coffins." CARDBOARD COFFINS IN TRUCK WORKERS CLOSING DOOR OF TRUCK CARRYING CARDBOARD COFFINS TRUCK DRIVING AWAY FROM FACTORY (SOUNDBITE) (Sinhala) 51-YEAR-OLD DEHIWALA-MOUNT LAVINIA MUNICIPAL COUNCILLOR WHO INVENTED THE CARDBOARD COFFIN, PRIYANTHA SAHABANDU, SAYING: "The majority of the people in the country support this. The issue today is supplying them. We are working on that. " DEHIWALA-MOUNT LAVINIA, COLOMBO DISTRICT, SRI LANKA (RECENT - AUGUST 19, 2021) (REUTERS) HEARSE ARRIVING AT CREMATORIUM WORKERS IN PERSONAL PROTECTIVE GEAR SPRAYING DISINFECTANT ON GROUND BEHIND HEARSE, WORKER OPENING BACK DOOR OF HEARSE, WORKERS SPRAYING COFFIN IN HEARSE VARIOUS OF HEARSE DRIVING ONTO CREMATORIUM COMPOUND, WORKERS SPRAYING DISINFECTANT AFTER HEARSE WORKERS UNLOADING CARDBOARD COFFIN FROM HEARSE AND CARRYING IT INTO INCINERATOR WORKER CLOSING INCINERATOR DOOR DEHIWALA-MOUNT LAVINIA, COLOMBO DISTRICT, SRI LANKA (RECENT - AUGUST 8, 2021) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Sinhala) 51-YEAR-OLD MUNICIPAL COUNCILLOR WHO INVENTED THE CARDBOARD COFFIN, PRIYANTHA SAHABANDU, SAYING: "As much as reducing the number of trees being cut, the amount of gas and electricity needed to cremate these coffins is much less than for wooden coffins. To generate electricity you need to burn diesel and that releases carbon into the environment." DEHIWALA-MOUNT LAVINIA, COLOMBO DISTRICT, SRI LANKA (RECENT - AUGUST 19, 2021) (REUTERS) WORKER DISINFECTING CREMATION HALL, RELATIVE LOOKING ON AND CRYING VARIOUS OF CREMATION HALL AND CHIMNEY
  • Embargoed: 7th September 2021 05:42
  • Keywords: COVID-19 Sri Lanka cardboard coffins coronavirus cremation wooden coffins
  • Location: DEHIWALA-MOUNT LAVINIA, SRI LANKA
  • City: DEHIWALA-MOUNT LAVINIA, SRI LANKA
  • Country: Sri Lanka
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA001ERN0J7R
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: At a box factory in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia city, neighbouring Sri Lanka's capital of Colombo, workers are busy assembling a special product - cardboard coffins.
    The coffin is made out of recycled paper and costs a sixth of the cheapest wooden casket, according to 51-year-old Priyantha Sahabandu, the local government official who first came up with the idea.
    With Sri Lanka reporting record high coronavirus-related deaths lately, the cardboard coffin has become a viable option for poor families because of the high price of wooden coffins. And it is also "green".
    "With the spread of the coronavirus, people found it difficult to pay for expensive wooden coffins," said Sahabandu. "As much as reducing the number of trees being cut, the amount of gas and electricity needed to cremate these coffins is much less than for wooden coffins."
    The cardboard coffin can hold up to 100 kilograms and can be put together in about 30 minutes.
    The coffins are mainly ordered and delivered to customers by the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia municipal council for Rs 4,500 ($22.50). Initially, the coffins were mostly used for COVID-19 victims, but they have become increasingly popular among those who are more environmentally conscious, Sahabandu said.
    So far 350 cardboard coffins have been delivered since early 2020, and the factory is making another 150 ordered by the council.
    "The majority of the people in the country support this. The issue today is supplying them. We are working on that," said Sahabandu, adding he has received many calls from people inquiring about the cardboard coffin.
    President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced a total lockdown on Friday (August 20) for ten days to curb a renewed surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant. The country recorded its highest daily death toll of 198 on Friday, while total fatalities have reached 7,366.
    The majority of Sri Lanka's population are Buddhists and Hindus and cremate their dead.
    (Production: Waruna Karunatilake, Phyllis Xu)
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