大象传媒

Emma gets comfortable in an eco coffin

Emma and the eco coffins

"I wouldn't be seen dead in that" is a phrase rarely heard in the Dansie household. Sophie and her husband Ben run a decorative coffin business from their home in Coton, on the outskirts of Cambridge.

Sophie with an eco coffin

Their painted coffins aren't just pretty, though.听 These are eco coffins.听 Made of reinforced cardboard they're sturdy enough to hold a person who weighs up to 26 stone, they're environmentally friendly and cost a fraction of their wooden equivalent.

Speaking to 大象传媒 Cambridgeshire's Emma Maclean, Sophie explains that in order to expand their business, she and Ben hope to take advantage of a local initiative called Running the Gauntlet.听

The brainchild of the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), Running the Gauntlet helps budding entrepreneurs to hone their pitching skills giving them a better chance of bidding successfully for venture capital.

A decorative eco coffin

Death is never an easy subject to tackle, but the Dansie's coffins are as cheerful as you're likely to find.听 Designs include the poppy and sky design featured in our photographs. Poppies represent remembrance, Sophie explains.

There is also a sea design which Sophie says she would choose for herself, as she finds it very calming.

Even the cat's fascinated!

The Dansie's eco coffin business has been running for five years and they sell their coffins through local undertakers.听 Sophie hopes that if they can successfully expand their business, eco coffins will soon become mainstream, used by people who appreciate both their environmental and design qualities.

听 > Audio and Video links on this page require Realplayer