Grounded in Sustainability

Responsible sourcing has always been at the forefront of our mind at Somerset Willow. Our use of natural materials from the very beginning of our family business has allowed us to understand the importance of preservation. Whether it is the sourcing of locally grown willow or other natural materials, we understand the delicate equilibrium of our ecosystem. We’re conscious about the environment.

We choose to select materials with sustainable properties for all coffins within our Natural Woven range, from bamboo to banana leaf and cane. Seagrass is a particularly popular coffin finish within this range, and is used in many different products globally, including furniture and other household items.

The seagrass we use, unlike typical seagrass, grows in inland plantations of low-lying paddy-fields in Indonesia and is not removed from the natural seabed. Scientifically known as Fimbristylis umbellaris, this grass-like plant thrives in a tropical climate, and grows in dense clumps that flourish under unique conditions. Flooded by seawater throughout the year, the fields benefit from a natural recycling process that removes debris and introduces fresh nutrients. As a hydrophyte, it can grow under these submerged conditions due to its spongy tissue which creates air channels in its leaves. The plant’s strong stems and fibrous roots keep it securely anchored, preventing it from being washed away.

Every five months, the seagrass is harvested just as it begins to flower and is laid out to dry in the sun on large bamboo racks. Removing the moisture in this way preserves the crop and helps to maintain a consistent colour finish for use in weaving. The seagrass is then bundled into large bales ready to be formed into a weavable material. This is created by joining each blade of grass together with small traditional knots to form a long rope known as 1-ply seagrass. Three strands of knotted ropes are then combined by feeding them through a spinning machine, forming a thicker, 3-ply yarn which we use in our Seagrass Coffins. The more strands that are spun together, the thicker the yarn. The finished result gives our Seagrass Coffins their distinctive, natural aesthetic with a charming blue-green hue.

Seagrass is not only valued for its aesthetic appeal but also for its impressive environmental properties. It is a fast-growing and renewable material that’s excellent at absorbing CO2 through photosynthesis. Once absorbed, it stores organic carbon beneath its sediment at a rate 30-50 times faster than forests on land, locking the carbon away for hundreds of years. This process of carbon sequestration prevents the CO2 from reaching the atmosphere and contributes to climate change mitigation. Seagrass is a truly remarkable sustainable material.

We strive to be conscientious in every aspect of the work we do, including the renewable materials we use within our range of Natural Woven Coffins. This sense of responsibility is a key part of our heritage, helping to govern how we make our decisions now and in the future.