New Products

The Jibana Collection: Offering Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Caskets and Urns

Western Caskets is excited to announce that they have become the distributor of the Jibana Collection of eco-friendly caskets that were recently introduced to New Zealand.

Having had some involvement in a social impact business in India, Jibana’s founder Jo Harris saw the opportunity to introduce the certified Fair Trade Jibana Collection of eco-friendly caskets to New Zealand. Jibana partners with an impact business in the district of Nilphamari in Bangladesh, a district that faces seasonal unemployment, extreme poverty, and childhood vulnerability. The supplier of the Jibana collection employs 150 skilled artisans who craft caskets and urns from natural sustainable materials. The artisans receive fair wages, providing stability and economic opportunity for their families. The word ‘Jibana’ is a Bengali word meaning ‘life’, so the production and sale of Jibana caskets contribute to the circular nature of life.

Jibana’s collection of handwoven natural caskets are made from biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials such as willow, bamboo, seagrass, and jute. The collection offers a range of elegant, soft options that provide a comforting farewell, while also being kind to the environment.

● Seagrass: Sourced from the freshwater plants abundant in the Noakhali district of Bangladesh, these sun-dried, spun, and woven caskets offer a gentle and natural aesthetic.

● Willow: Hand-woven onto bamboo frames, Jibena’s willow coffins come in a traditional oval shape and are available in both chestnut and natural colour. Each piece is crafted with care and reflects timeless elegance.

● Bamboo: Made from locally grown, sustainably managed bamboo plants in Bangladesh. Jibena’s caskets are produced in a close partnership with 40 local farmers, ensuring fair wages and positive community relationships.

● Jute: This unique material is sourced from local farms. After harvesting during the monsoon season, the jute fibres are processed and woven into a beautiful fabric, making Jibana a pioneer in incorporating jute into casket manufacturing.

The excellent quality of the products together with the shared values and transformative story of the Jibana’s supplier, was a perfect fit for Western Caskets. General Manager Alan Eastwood saw a wonderful opportunity to partner with Jibana for mutual benefit. ‘We’d been looking for products like this to fill a gap we’ve identified in New Zealand, and the Jibana collection provides a new and diverse range of caskets that are unique to New Zealand. With both Western Caskets and Jibana being family-run businesses, there are natural synergies that we enjoy together, and knowing that the sale of Jibana products benefits the lives of marginalised people just makes the story all the more significant.’

The Jibana collection (and story) can be found at: www. jibana.co.nz; Western Caskets is proud to be the distributor of Jibana caskets.

PLEASE NOTE: We do not sell direct to the public, but our products are available through a number of Funeral Homes.