They were long prohibited in France. It took 8 years of testing and lobbying for them to be allowed, but since 2009, cardboard coffins are now authorized in France.

Cardboard coffins are indeed made from recycled cardboard, but of course, it's not the same cardboard used for postal parcels.

It is a specially designed cardboard that is both strong enough to support the weight of a human body, eco-friendly, and safe to use, particularly regarding its fire resistance.

The glue used is made from corn and potato starch.

Beyond the lobbying of wooden coffin manufacturers, several constraints had to be met, including:

Weight resistance. It is easy to understand that a coffin must not tear under the weight of the deceased.
Water resistance. The coffin must not allow any potential fluids to pass through.
Cremation resistance. The cardboard must not ignite too quickly so as not to endanger the teams responsible for inserting it into the cremation equipment.

According to Article R. 2213-25 of the General Code of Local Authorities, the coffin must meet characteristics "of resistance, waterproofing, biodegradability or combustibility."

The AFNOR NFD-8001-01 NFD-8001-03 standard was also created to define the various technical characteristics that coffins must now comply with, regardless of their materials.

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Cardboard coffin: its advantages

Environmentally friendly

Using a cardboard coffin instead of a wooden one reduces the amount of wood needed for construction. Moreover, it is made of recycled cardboard.

It emits fewer toxic substances during cremation: no fluorine, no heavy metal emissions, and less nitrogen oxide.

Finally, while a wooden coffin takes 10 to 15 years to decompose in the ground, cardboard takes one year.

Light and sturdy

The cardboard coffin is 5 times lighter than wooden ones: 10 kg instead of 50 kg.

Light and also very strong as it can bear a load of more than 200 kg.

Economical

The cardboard coffin is much cheaper than the traditional coffin. Its price ranges from 600 € to 800 €.

In comparison, a traditional coffin can cost between 600 € and over 2000 €.

Cardboard coffin: its disadvantages

The cardboard coffin does have a few drawbacks.

Its cremation requires more gas because the cardboard burns faster than wood. The cremation then becomes more gas-consuming than for a wooden coffin.

While its use is quite widespread in crematoriums, it is far from being the case for cemeteries. Very few cemeteries accept cardboard coffins today in France, which limits its use to cremation funerals for the time being.

Furthermore, very few funeral homes offer it to families. At Advitam, we have been offering several models for several years already.

For more information, you can consult our article dedicated to eco-friendly funeral practices.