Biodegradable Urn – Which One Is Right For Me?
If you want to be cremated after you pass and choose an environmentally-friendly choice with a biodegradable urn for your memorial, you’re not alone. Over half of all Americans who pass are now being cremated (mainly due to cremation cost and with people not as traditional as in the past) and millions of people are looking for eco-friendly memorial options. These options include planting a loved one's ashes with a biodegradable urn to grow a tree memorial, scattering ashes at a special place outdoors with an urn made from eco-friendly materials, burying ashes in a biodegradable urn or other eco-friendly container, or scattering ashes at sea or another body of water with a water urn, among many others.
Tree Memorial with a Biodegradable Urn
The Living Urn® is a unique and uplifting option that allows families to plant the ashes of a loved one in its proprietary biodegradable urn and planting system to grow a beautiful tree memorial. This patented system includes a proprietary, all natural biodegradable urn that is made from recycled plant materials using only heat and pressure (no glues or chemicals). It also includes RootProtect®, a special natural soil additive that helps to counter the natural properties of ashes to create a more balanced growing environment for tree and plant growth. A starter bag of mulch is also provided along with easy to follow, step by step instructions. The entire system comes packaged in an attractive, eco-friendly bamboo casing used to store the urn with ashes until planting time and to make it easy to safely transport the urn to the planting site. It also creates a nice presentation when families hold planting ceremonies.
In addition to providing you with everything you need to grow a tree memorial, The Living Urn® is also unique as it comes with actual trees that are 1-4’ in height, depending on the type of tree and the season, that are shipped directly to your door in quart or gallon pots from The Living Urn’s award-winning nursery. It’s important that your memorial tree grows and thrives and, for this reason, The Living Urn® only provides young trees (not seeds or tiny seedlings) with nice strong root systems that are shipped in pots. Choose from over fifty tree options, narrowed down by what grows best in your specific area by your zip code. Then, upon receipt of the bio urn and tree, simply follow the instructions provided and plant a living memory tree that can be cherished by family and friends for many years to come.
The Living Urn® is proven and responsible for tens of thousands of tree memorials growing throughout the U.S., Canada and in many other countries worldwide. The Living Urn® also has thousands of positive reviews and testimonials, many of which are shared online. Starting at $129, it’s a popular option among eco-conscious people who choose cremation and want to give back and honor a loved one.
Scattering with a Biodegradable Urn
Scattering a loved one’s ashes continues to grow in popularity. According to the National Funeral Director’s Association (NFDA) 2018 Consumer Awareness and Preferences Study, of the 61 percent of Americans who would choose cremation for themselves, over half would prefer to have their ashes scattered at a special, meaningful location. This can include scattering at home, in a park, in the mountains, at a beach, or other place with personal meaning. If the decision is made to scatter at National Park or other place, it is always best to get permission when required.
A growing number of people who choose scattering as a memorial of choice, are also interesting in using a special urn or container that doesn’t harm the environment and is biodegradable. There are many options available, including Eco Scattering Urns, a new line of urns that are 100% natural and are made from bamboo, a sustainable resource. This unique line of patented biodegradable scattering urns gives families the ability to scatter ashes with control and grace (a unique and very important advantage!). Eco Scattering Urns also come standard with a proprietary open and close mechanism on top allowing families to scatter some of a loved one’s ashes at a special place then re-secure the remaining ashes in the urn to keep or to scatter at another place. Starting at $49, the Eco Scattering Urn is an affordable biodegradable scattering urn option for families who want a beautiful memorial experience.
Buried in a Biodegradable Urn
According to the National Funeral Director’s Association, 37 percent of cremated remains are buried (at a cemetery, memorial park, or other special place). Historically, the burial of ashes consisted of using a metal urn or other container. However, now, with more and more people being eco-conscious, biodegradable burial urns made from wood, paper, and other materials are becoming popular.
Eco Burial is a new biodegradable burial urn that has quickly become the leading burial urn of choice for funeral homes in the U.S. With its sleek, yet simple cylindrical design and the fact it’s all natural (made from bamboo, a sustainable resource), many families are ordering this for a burial, or using it as a beautiful decorative urn that’s kept in the home as it will not biodegrade unless it is buried. Starting at $69, the Eco Burial Urn is also an affordable option for families and provides a dignified memorial of a loved one.
Water Burial with a Biodegradable Urn
Water burials, also referred to as sea burials, are a popular memorial option for those living by the coast, or those who always enjoyed vacations at an ocean, lake or beach. Being memorialized by scattering ashes in water can be a great way to be remembered and can have great meaning to the person who passed. Historically, many families performed water burials with a simple metal or other container provided by the funeral home. They would go out on the ocean and shake the container until all of the ashes fell out into the water. However, with the rise in cremation, there are now many more options now available for people looking to do a water burial.
Most ports in the U.S. have multiple boats that provide sea burial services. This can be done with family and friends present on the boat, or unaccompanied. The cost for this services ranges by location and can be anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
In addition, many people are now using urns specifically designed to disperse ashes in water for their water burial. One, in particular, is a new biodegradable water urn called Eco Water. This patent pending water urn is made from recycled plant materials and is designed to float upright like a buoy for up to a few minutes before the special urn breaks apart to free and gracefully disperse the ashes into the water. Many families who use Eco Water place flowers or wreaths around the urn and even write special messages on the urn before the ceremony. In addition, it comes packaged in a beautiful, eco-friendly bamboo case which is great for ceremonies and also for safely and elegantly transporting the Eco Water Urn to the water burial location.
A new ice urn is also available which is made entirely from ice and gracefully floats on top of the water before gracefully dispersing a loved one's ashes in the water.
Which Biodegradable Urn is Right for You?
In this blog, we’ve highlighted some of the most popular biodegradable urn options in 2019 for the eco-conscious person. If these aren’t right for you, not to worry. With the continued growth in cremation, more and more biodegradable urns are expected to be introduced over the coming years providing more great options for you!