Lightweight casket assembly with side panel rails

A casket assembly, comprising:

• a base including a bottom panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, a first end panel and a second end panel, configured as an open-top casket container formed of corrugated paper, the base including elongate first and second rails, each of the first and second rails coupled to and providing reinforcement to a corresponding one of the first and second side panels, each of the rails having a bottom surface, a top surface, an inner surface, and an outer surface, the outer surface adjoined to the corresponding side panel;
• and
• a removable lid covering an interior of the base, the lid including a lip top and lid sides, each lid side having a bottom edge, the lid having a collapsed configuration and a use configuration, wherein the lid in the collapsed configuration is disposed entirely below a vertical level defined by top edges of the side panels, and is supported at least in part the top surface of at least one of the first and second rails and, and wherein the lid in the use configuration extends at least in part above the vertical level defined by the top edges of the side panels, the bottom edges of the sides resting on the top surfaces of the first and second rails.