Family of 93-year-old woman decorates and pens well-wishes on her paper casket

To give their late grandmother a unique send-off, a family in Singapore picked an eco-friendly casket - made of corrugated paper - for her and wrote their well wishes on it. 

Wang Jinlian (transliteration), 93, died peacefully at home last Sunday (March 3), reported Shin Min Daily News.

At her wake at Block 522 Hougang Avenue 6, Wang's casket was surrounded by her favourite flowers, as well as paintings of her drawn by her great-granddaughter.

Wang's grandson-in-law, Zeng Weiming, told Shin Min that it was a joint decision by the family to opt for an eco-friendly casket. 

"The elders agreed and one uncle even helped to decorate it," said the 40-year-old food consultant. 

A main reason for picking the casket was so that the family could pen their well-wishes to Wang.

As Wang was Buddhist, the family prepared 100 swastika stickers and 38 stickers of her favourite flower, adenium, to paste on the casket. 

When interviewed by Shin Min, Wang's granddaughter, Wu Shutian, fondly recalled that her grandmother was very cheerful and often liked to joke with her grandchildren. 

Wang also picked out her own photos for the funeral, said the 42-year-old, who works in finance. 

The elderly woman was buried on Thursday, reported Shin Min.

Eco-friendly caskets can reduce cremation time 

The family had engaged Unity Casket Funeral Planner. Founder William Tan told Shin Min that he receives requests for eco-friendly caskets for about five funerals every month. 

The 55-year-old said these caskets are suitable for both burial and cremation, adding that cremating a casket made of corrugated paper is 30 minutes faster than cremating one made of wood. 

According to the casket manufacturer's website, the paper caskets can hold up to 250kg, and have been certified and approved by the National Environment Agency. 

Besides being more affordable and biodegradable, the deceased's families also have the option of printing designs and colours on the exterior.

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claudiatan@asiaone.com