Dying for corrugated: Bux Corrugated creates corrugated coffins as an environmentally friendly alternative to wood

Paperboard Packaging, Sept, 2004

In May, Bux Corugated, part of Mondi Packaging UK, was approached by a customer who asked if Mondi could produce a corrugated coffin. The customer wanted corrugated because it is a lighter weight, cost-effective alternative to wood.

"There is an increasing market for corrugated coffins--more and more people are using them," says Steven Knights, design and innovations manager at Bux Corrugated. "However, it is still a small percentage compared to the demand for wooden coffins."

Corrugated coffins also are increasingly seen as a more environmentally friendly alternative to wood because they use less raw material and are more readily biodegradable. Mondi Packaging runs a number of environmental initiatives throughout its business and was more than happy to work in partnership with this customer to develop this product, Knights says.

The process was the same as with every product the company designs. Mondi liaised closely with the customer to ensure that Bux Corrugated fully understood what it was expecting from the corrugated box and what the necessary specifications were. After that, sample coffins were prepared for approval and the design was finalized.

The coffin went into production in early June and was available on the market very soon afterwards. The boxes are currently available only through the customer and Bux Corrugated is not producing this design for any other organization.

The box consists of three pieces, a glued base tray, a diecut inner fitment to support the base and a lid to close it. The tray and fitment are made from Toughwall 900 and the lid is in 200k/200t B-flute. The coffin is cut out using Bux Corrugated's Rotary Prime 300 diecutter and erected by hand by its customer.

Because of the environmental aspects behind the product and its intended use, the coffins are plain and no ink or covering is used.

The most important feature, vital for the product to fulfill its task, is its strength. The base and the inner fitment needed to be strong as the product had to be able to hold a considerable weight. The other important features are that the overall design is appropriate for its sombre purpose and that it biodegrades effectively.