Mortal coil

"shuffle[d] off this mortal coil", Left the Scene

Being Green After You’ve Left the Scene

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Coffins not only come in many shapes and sizes, but can also be eco-friendly

Just because you’ve shuffled of your mortal coil doesn’t mean you can’t continue to give the environment a helping hand.

In the UK, 70 percent of all funerals are cremations, a higher percentage than anywhere else in the world. This has turned into a pollution problem because of mercury emissions from dental fillings which melt in the process. Now “green” or “eco-burials” are gaining popularity in the UK. It is estimated that by the end of 2010 around 12 percent of all UK burials will be “green”. Living Planet pays a visit to Manchester, England, to find out what constitutes an “eco-funeral”, and why this industry is catching on.

Report: Lars Bevanger

Mortal coil is a poetic term that means the troubles of daily life and the strife and suffering of the world. It is used in the sense of a burden to be carried or abandoned, most famously in the phrase "shuffle[d] off this mortal coil" from Shakespeare's Hamlet. (For more context of the phrase, see To be, or not to be.)