Legal

What is important are the guidelines (agreements) and not any approval numbers, or have you ever seen an approval number for a zinc coffin?

Furthermore, there are hardly any pure zinc coffins left in Europe; they would be far too heavy and would cost well over 500 euros. The coffins we receive in Germany are simply zinc sheet coffins, i.e. galvanized sheet metal, and these are not mentioned in any legal text and are also not degradable, as originally intended.

Paragraph 6 i) & ii) of the Strasbourg Convention is important here. In addition to a zinc coffin, any container other than a coffin can be chosen, provided it is 100% airtight and impermeable to liquids.

Here is the original text from the Strasbourg Agreement:

European Convention on the Transport of Corpses of 26 October 1973
(Strasbourg Agreement)

The member States of the Council of Europe, signatory to this Convention, considering the need to simplify the formalities for the international transport of corpses, bearing in mind that the transport of corpses does not constitute a health threat, even if death was due to a communicable disease, provided that appropriate measures are taken, in particular to ensure the impermeability of the coffin, have agreed as follows:

…… Article 6
(1) The coffin must be impermeable and lined with absorbent materials. If the competent authority of the State of departure considers it necessary, the coffin must be fitted with a pressure equalisation device to equalise the internal and external pressures. It must consist of

(i) either an outer wooden coffin with a wall thickness of at least 20 mm and a carefully soldered inner coffin made of zinc or of another self-decomposing material

(ii) or a single wooden coffin with a wall thickness of at least 30 mm, lined with a layer of zinc or other self-decomposing material.

(2) If death is due to an infectious disease, the body shall be wrapped in a shroud soaked in an antiseptic solution.

(3) Without prejudice to paragraphs 1 and 2, the coffin must, when transported by air, be fitted with a pressure equalisation device or, where none exists, be provided with such guarantees of strength as are recognised as adequate by the competent authority of the State of departure.