Citizens are suffering from the deteriorating economic condition and a state of lockdown due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus, as more than 4000 cases of Covid are recorded daily and more than 200 daily deaths in Sri Lanka. Therefore to alleviate the financial inconvenience that citizens are exposed to when a relative dies, in addition to reducing environmental damage caused by felling trees during the manufacture of wooden coffins, the Dehiwala Mount Lavinia Municipal Council has introduced low-cost and eco-friendly coffin, made of cardboard obtained from recycled waste papers.
Interview with (Priyantha sahabandu – Municipal Councilor of Dehiwala Mount Lavinia Municipal Council)
“The idea of introducing an eco-friendly coffin has been around for a long time. This can be obtained at a very low price. So it saves people’s money. There is no need to cut down trees, as wood is not used for this purpose, therefore the environment is also protected. In recent days, there has been an incident of selling coffins at an extra higher price.”
Interview with (Isuru perera – quality control inspector)
“The problem everyone has is whether “cardboard” is strong enough to make coffins. We use technology like this for robustness. This rectangular section distributes the weight of the body evenly throughout the coffin. These boxes are made from recycled materials. These boxes decompose in a very short time and reduce pollution”
Interview with (Athula – A relative of the deceased)
“Lot of people dies these days due to Covid. This work carrying by the Dehiwala Mount Lavinia Municipal Councilors is a good thing. This brings some relief to the people.”
SPurce- A24
