Disposal of Cremains: the sky's no longer the limit

There are many choices when deciding what to do with cremated remains. Some people have had their ashes sprinkled all over the world! Below are some obvious options, but you can be as creative as you want:

• Scatter on Water

• Scatter in a Garden

• Ground Burial

• Placed in a Columbarium

• Urn Garden

• Shot into Space

• Made into Gemstones

• Conversion into a planting medium

• Scattered by plane

• Scattered by fireworks

• Display at home

Scatter on Water
The laws in the U.S. state that you must be three miles from shore to scatter ashes (with exceptions in certain areas). You can have your ashes put into a pressed cotton urn and placed in water. The urn floats for several minutes, then slowly dissolves and sinks into the water, releasing your ashes into the sea.

Scatter in a Garden
Many cemeteries have built special gardens for sprinkling ashes. There is usually a choice to place a memorial marker in the garden honoring your loved one. You can also scatter the remains in your own garden.

Ground Burial
You can bury an urn at many cemeteries.

Placed in a Columbarium
A columbarium is a small building at a cemetery that houses urns with cremated ashes. The urns are placed into a niche, which usually can include a memorial plaque. There are typically many urns in a columbarium, but there are also single columbaries. Since the niches are made a certain size, make sure to buy an urn that fits into the space provided.

Urn Garden
An urn garden has plots for urns that can sometimes be half seen and made into stepping-stones.

Shot into Space
This is a more expensive option, unless you’re Elon Musk.

Made into Gemstones
You can have your remains, or those of your loved ones, made into a gem of your choice. That way they will be with you forever.

Conversion into a planting medium
Cremains can be converted into a planting soil and used in a garden.

Scattered by plane
Cremation ashes can be spread over the ocean or land by an airplane. Some national parks and most private land will require a permit.

Scattered by fireworks
Certain types of fireworks include space for cremains.

Display at home
You could scatter your ashes around the world, but there’s no place like home. You could always opt to keep the ashes at home on display in an urn or other container.

To find companies who offer these options, click here.