Your Guide to Funeral Planning | 11.25.2022

What Is A Banana Coffin?

What Is A Banana Coffin?

Reviewed By: WILLIAM PROUT

Cross Checked By: SCOTT GINSBERG

Banana Coffins: A Suitable Choice For An Eco-Friendly Funeral

A banana coffin is one of the many different types of eco-friendly natural coffins available today. As the name indicates, a banana coffin is a biodegradable coffin that is made from the leaves of a banana plant after it has borne fruits. 

Once the fruit-bearing cycle of the plant is complete, the leaves are generally disposed of. However, by making use of these banana leaves to weave natural coffins, a natural renewable cycle is set into motion, thus benefiting the local environment and reducing wastage. Banana leaf coffins are thus extremely environment-friendly.

How Is A Banana Coffin Made?

A banana coffin is woven using tried and tested weaving techniques that keep the coffin sturdy yet lightweight. Typically, the leaves of a banana plant that has completed its fruit-bearing cycle are dried and woven tightly to create banana cord. This cord is then wrapped around a coffin-shaped frame made from natural cane. 

In some banana leaf coffins, rattan may also be woven into the frame along with the banana cord to create a stunning contrast with the burned golden color of the cord. The weaving technique ensures that the coffin is strong enough to prevent collapse, and the cane frame adds further support and durability to the banana coffin

Different Types Of Banana Coffins

Although the fundamental use of material remains the same, you can find different types of coffins based on the shape of the frame. Typically, you have the following two options to choose from.

  • Traditional coffins
  • Traditional banana leaf coffins have straight edges that resemble the shape of a regular conventional coffin. 

  • Curved coffins
  • Curved natural coffins made of banana cord feature rounded edges rather than straight ones. Aside from this, they are just like regular coffins. 

    How Much Does A Banana Coffin Cost?

    Since banana coffins are made from naturally available materials, they are fairly affordable in comparison with many other types of coffins. In certain local environments, there may even be an abundance of leaves from banana plants that have completed their fruit bearing cycle. This makes raw materials more easily available. 

    Due to these factors, banana leaf coffins may be priced anywhere upward $700 or so. You can check with your local coffin retailer or buy a coffin from an online seller too.

    When To Choose A Banana Coffin?

    Banana coffins are all-natural coffins that are suitable for various kinds of funerals. No matter what kind of ceremony you are hosting, you may find that a banana coffin may be an appropriate choice. Here is a closer look at when you can choose a banana coffin for a funeral.

  • If you are having a burial
  • A banana coffin is a biodegradable coffin, so it is a suitable choice for a burial because it is easier to decompose. Also, since these coffins are fairly strong, thanks to the unique weaving technique, they are ideal choices for a burial. Along with other eco-friendly options like bamboo coffins, banana coffins are becoming increasingly popular for burials today.

  • If you are having a cremation
  • In case of a cremation, it is essential to have a coffin that is made from materials that easily combust and burn. Since banana leaves are simply plant matter, they combust quickly and without any hassle. This makes banana leaf coffins suitable not just for burials, but for cremations too.

  • If you are having a green ceremony
  • Green ceremonies are burials or cremations that do not involve the use of any chemicals or materials that are not eco-friendly. In other words, they are conducted in a manner that has as little of an adverse impact on the environment as possible. Banana coffins, being completely biodegradable and natural, fit right into this theme. 

    Make An Eco-Friendly Choice With Biodegradable Coffins And Caskets

    If you are looking for an eco-friendly option for a green burial or a cremation, banana coffins check all the right boxes. Alternatively, if you are looking for a casket instead, you can find various biodegradable and eco-friendly options on Titan Casket’s website, like pine, wool, bamboo and willow caskets.