A Comprehensive Guide to Burial Urns

What is a Burial Urn?

As we know, cremation has risen in popularity continually since the 1960’s. With this increases the number of families with a desire to bury the ashes of their loved ones. In order to do so, you will need to use a burial urn - These are containers that will hold the cremated ashes and they are specifically designed to be buried underground. They are typically made from bamboo, wood, recycled materials, cardboard or metal.

What types of Burial Urn are biodegradable?

Whilst we continue to opt for cremation over burial services, there is also a significant rise year on year for people who are becoming increasingly eco-conscious of the effects that we can have on the environment. Because of this, many people will now seek environmentally friendly burial urns and there are so many options to choose from. Made from materials such as bamboo, wood, recycled plant materials, paper, cardboard and ceramic, these options will eventually biodegrade over time. With anything, it is important to do your research beforehand to ensure that you are purchasing the right product. We hope that our below information will help guide you in finding something that is 100% biodegradable and eco friendly.

Bamboo Burial Urn 

Bamboo is one of the fastest growing, abundant, strong and lightweight materials in existence. It is considered a highly sustainable and renewable resource making it one of the most eco friendly building materials on the planet. Not only is it extremely environmentally friendly, it is also beautiful - It has a smooth texture and a surface of light and dark grains. Because of this, bamboo is the ideal material to manufacture a respectful burial urn. Did you know that there are actually few burial urns available made from bamboo?

Our eco burial urn is a patent pending, bamboo burial urn and it is very quickly growing in favorability. It is entirely manufactured from natural materials - The urn is made from bamboo and the locking pin is created from birch wood. Our Eco Burial Urn holds itself in a smooth cylindrical shape and it can contain up to 3.60 Litres of cremated ashes (which is the standard size required for a single person). Because it is made from bamboo, it will biodegrade very quickly once it has been buried under ground. Many families will opt to use this as their urn of choice, even if they do not choose to bury it. Families choose this as a standard urn because of its beautiful look, it will not biodegrade if it is not buried. The eco burial urn can be used for both burial services, or to keep as a momentum for years to come.

Also available, depending on the type of memorial service that you are planning, are Ecp Scattering Urns. These can be used to scatter the ashes of a loved one. Some families will choose to keep some of the ashes at home, after they have performed the scattering ceremony at a special place, and some choose to bury the remaining ashes. These Eco Scattering Urns are also made entirely of bamboo and they will also completely biodegrade once  exposed to soil and moisture.

A Burial Urn that Grows a Tree in loving memory

The Living Urn have patented a tree memorial planting system for your loved one. This unique solution includes a very special biodegradable burial urn, it is made completely from recycled plant based materials and it is constructed using water, heat and pressure. There are no glues, chemicals or binding agents used in the manufacture process. This biodegradable urn is designed to hold as much or as little of your loved ones cremated remains, taking into consideration the type of service that you would like to hold. Once planted, the urn will immediately soften and begin to biodegrade. This rapid process allows the roots of the tree that has been planted, to grow freely underground - To begin your lasting memory. We offer over 50 tree varieties for you to plant with your Bio Urn, these options are narrowed down to your specific location to ensure that the type of tree is suitable for where you are planting it. There is something rather beautiful about this form of burial as families are able to choose their chosen tree, plant or shrub from your local nursery, you can do this and purchase the The Living Urn Bio Urn and plating system with your tree of choice. You can plant any size tree with The Living Urn and the instructions provided explain how to plant The Living Urn with the tree purchased. Roses are a popular option to be grown from The Living Urn in a garden or a large pot.

Wood, Cardboard, or Paper Burial Urns 

Burial Urns made from Wood, Cardboard and paper are in abundance. They can be used for both burial services and scattering memorials too and are sometimes opted to keep at home in memory. Wood urns are known to be completely natural as long as they dont have polyurethane or another chemical finish. These finishes are not very good for the environment and they will significantly slow down the biodegrading process. Similarly, whilst paper is a biodegradable source, if it is processed like cardboard then you may find it is not very eco friendly as the manufacturing process is highly energy intensive and may involve lots of chemicals. It is always best to speak with the supplier to better understand how they are made as that will be important to you and your family. You will be able to find many solutions online when looking for an urn that suits you best. 

What is a traditional burial urn?

You may find that you and your family are seeking a much more traditional service, and burial urn and there are a number of options available for you. These particular urns will be manufactured with metal and they will come in a variety of shapes and colours. Many families may prefer that the urn stay intact, and not biodegrade over time, in these cases the urn is placed in a vault and safely stored away in a memorial - These will be more commonly constructed of very strong plastic or sometimes concrete. Lots of cemeteries require urn vaults to be placed around urns that are buried on their property, speak to your funeral director if you have any questions surrounding this. 

Where can I Bury my loved ones Ashes?

Luckily, there are many options available for you and your family when it comes to considering where to bury your loved ones ashes. You may like to do this at an urn garden, in a cemetery or memorial park but you can also choose to do this at home or another meaningful location to your loved one that has passed, creating a lasting memory.

• At home - this can be one of the most sentimental places to choose for your memorial service. Keeping your loved one with you at home, you can bury your urn in the garden or under a tree, you may even travel to a childhood location to do this. You can place a special plaque above the place of rest with the information of your loved one that has passed and a special message for your family and friends. It is recommended to check with your local council before burying a loved one’s ashes on your property.
• At a special place - you may have a location in mind that is particularly meaningful to you and your loved one. Choosing this to be memorialised is a wonderful thing to do. This choice is different to everyone and unique to you, it may be by the coast, the beach, a favourite holiday spot, golf course or nature park - It is entirely up to you. Wherever you choose, it’s important to check with your local council  to seek permission if required.
• At an Urn Garden - Most commonly these will be found at a cemetery or memorial park, check with your funeral director. These are very peaceful gardens that many choose as a final place of rest. You may find that your local church also provides this service and they may also permit tree memorials too. These beautiful urn gardens may contain small pots (similar to burial grounds) or they may consist of natural landscapes with an abundance of greenery and trees in existence. Speak to your service provider to see what options are available for burial, you may find that larger parts of the landscape are optional. 
• At a Cemetery Burial Plot - you may find now that although burial plots have always been reserved for burials, these days they may permit the burial of cremated ashes too. If your family would like to stay together, and you are considering a family plot then this is a very easy solution given the size required for the natural burial urns. 
• At a Natural Burial Park - as we are now increasingly more environmentally friendly and conscious of our behaviour, there are many more available options for burial parks that allow the natural burial of your loved ones. For these parks, you must ensure that you opt for a biodegradable urn to support the protection of the environment. You will be able to speak to your local council, and find the most suitable location for you and the services that they may offer.

Which Burial Urn is Right for Me?

This is a very important and very personal decision for you and your family, there are a variety of options available. Biodegradable urns are becoming more and more popular because of their eco friendly nature and benefit to the environment. You must choose the one that feels right for you and your family, there is no right and wrong answer. We hope that this article helped answer some of your questions, please get in touch if you have any more questions regarding this subject.