In order to promote environmental protection and hold a decent funeral for the ancestors, the Hong Kong government has introduced environmentally friendly coffins made of honeycomb cardboard or recycled paper and similar in appearance to ordinary coffins since 2007. However, according to figures from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department It shows that in the past 10 years, the percentage of the number of cremation coffins used in Hong Kong is only 1.1% to 4.55%, and the overall number is less than 5%, which shows that the implementation effect is not satisfactory.
According to a survey conducted by the Consumer Council, the industry has a conservative attitude towards eco-coffins, and there is no incentive to implement eco-coffins in Hong Kong. The price is not much different from that of Western-style coffins. Only a few licensed undertakers have briefly introduced eco-coffins on their websites.
The Consumer Council urged the government to publicize the advantages of environmentally friendly coffins and provide incentives, such as discounts on cremation fees.
The Consumer Council conducted a survey in October this year and contacted 23 licensed undertakers. Although 17 of them did not refuse to investigate, only 12 were willing to reply. too positive".
Four companies, including the Kowloon funeral home, immediately refused or refused to participate in the investigation because they said they were not responsible. Five companies, including the Hong Kong funeral home, did not reply. Two other companies said that very few customers used it and could not provide information.
Eco-friendly coffins are similar in price to wooden coffins and there is no economic incentive to attract consumers
According to a survey conducted by the Consumer Council, among the 12 companies that responded, including World Funeral Parlor and the three funeral parlors under Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, they all indicated that the current demand and production volume of eco-friendly coffins are not much, and their prices are not much different from Western-style coffins. Therefore, fewer customers choose it.
According to the survey, the price of the miscellaneous wood "square box" coffins currently used by more people is about 3,000 to 35,000 yuan (package price), and the price of environmental protection coffins is 3,000 to 30,000 (package price). Wooden "square box" coffins are 400 to 5,700 yuan cheaper, reflecting that the price of environmentally friendly coffins may not have enough economic incentives to attract consumers to choose.
Green funerals are vigorously promoted around the world.
(Screenshot from the Consumer Council video)
The survey also pointed out that among the 12 responding service providers, World Funeral Parlor stated that no customers had chosen eco-coffins in the past year; another 10 had eco-coffins with utilization rates ranging from 0.3% to 23.9%, and the remaining 1 with the highest utilization rate 85% of them are "environmental protection life". The company mainly provides environmental protection funeral services.
Of the 40 companies, only 13 websites have introduced environmental protection coffins, and the information is not exhaustive
The Consumer Council also reviewed the information of 40 licensed undertakers with company websites and found that only 13, or about 30%, mentioned eco-friendly coffins on their webpages. Funeral packages including coffins, but few provide specific contents, prices and advantages of eco-coffins.
Many service providers believe that the main reason is that the government's publicity is insufficient, resulting in low market awareness.
It is difficult to accept the traditional thinking of the environmental protection coffin industry, saying that the profit is not high
On the other hand, the Consumer Council pointed out that due to the traditional thinking of some people, it is difficult to accept the eco-coffin, and some service providers think that the quality of the eco-coffin is not as good as other coffins, but some service providers also admit that the profit of the eco-coffin is not as good as other coffins. Coffins are the main reason why the industry does not actively promote environmentally friendly coffins.
Consumer Council urges government to reduce cremation fees and increase incentives to use eco-friendly coffins
The Consumer Council suggests that the government should strengthen promotion and education to let family members understand the advantages of eco-coffins, so as to increase the popularity of using eco-coffins. It can also review the service fee for booking government crematoria. The adult fee is 1,220 yuan. The government may consider choosing Those who use eco-coffins provide subsidies or waiver of cremation fees, or provide subsidies to coffin suppliers and undertakers to reduce the cost of using eco-coffins.
Traditional coffin burning process may produce toxic gas
To make a traditional coffin, trees need to be cut down. The stronger the coffin, the more fuel it will consume during cremation. Foreign research indicates that the varnish, wood preservatives, metal handles, and mounting fabrics of the coffin may produce toxic gases and pollution during the combustion process. things.
According to data from the Hong Kong government, from mid-2021 to mid-2022, the number of deaths in Hong Kong will be about 61,600. Assuming that a traditional coffin weighs an average of 60 kilograms, the consumption of coffin wood in one year is close to 3,700 metric tons.
Environmental coffin.
(Expansion film/photo by Lu Yiming)
Eco-friendly coffins are mainly made of mixed paper or recycled paper, which are more suitable for cremation. Many eco-friendly coffins are exquisitely handcrafted, and their appearance is no different from Western coffins.
Environmentally friendly coffins must meet certain specifications, including that the main structure must be made of cardboard or similar paper materials, and must not contain chlorides, plastics, and metals.
The inside and outside of the coffin are impermeable, and water-soluble non-toxic paint and materials must be used to facilitate combustion.
The load-bearing capacity of the coffin must not be less than 150 kg, and the coffin will not be significantly deformed by the load.
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