Biodegradable Urns and Environmentally-Friendly Cremation

4 Eco-Friendly Ways to Honor Your Loved One's Memory

Honor your loved one's memory in a manner that also cherishes our planet by selecting eco-friendly memorials. These sustainable tributes commemorate lives and contribute to preserving and healing the earth, ensuring their legacy positively impacts future generations.

We’ve compiled four easy and thoughtful green memorial ideas below, plus links to affordable memorial items. 

#1 Biodegradable Urns: Resting in Harmony with Nature

A biodegradable urn, or a "bio urn," is an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional urns. Made from materials that dissolve or decompose into the earth, such as recycled paper, sand, clay, rock salt, bamboo, or cornstarch, these urns offer a gentle way to honor your loved one while minimizing their environmental impact.

Another option is scattering or burying your loved one’s ashes in particular areas of your local cemetery. Many have scattering gardens and cremation benches. These benches are comfortable resting places and urn holders, merging functionality with remembrance.

#2 Turning Ashes into a Tree: Cultivate New Life

Although cremation ashes themselves may not be beneficial for plant growth due to their high pH level, there are innovative ways to transform them into a living memorial. Certain companies offer products that combine your loved one's ashes with neutralizing agents, allowing them to be used as a nurturing foundation for a tree seed or seedling. Plant-growing urn kits often include a biodegradable urn, additives to support plant growth, and a tree seed of your choosing.

Consider these approaches when selecting a tree to grow in honor of your loved one:

• Choose a tree they loved in their life.
• Plant a native tree in their name, which is typically more suitable for the local climate.
• Explore the language of flowers and select plants that hold special meaning to you and your loved one.

It's important to remember that caring for a plant takes time and dedication. However, the result is a beautiful living testament to your loved one's memory. You can plant these memorial trees in different settings, such as indoors, on private property, in a community garden, or even within a tree cemetery. Before selecting a seed, ensure it suits your local region's planting zones. These kits are typically under $200, varying based on seed type, system, and additional add-on features.

#3 Offset the Carbon Footprint: Plant Trees as Environmental Stewards

While cremation is generally more environmentally friendly than traditional burial methods, there is still a carbon footprint to consider. By planting a tree in your loved one's memory, you create a lasting tribute and contribute to offsetting that footprint. Each tree acts as an environmental steward, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing precious oxygen into the atmosphere.

#4 Planting Trees in Your Loved One's Name: Flexibility and Personalization

If turning your loved one's ashes into a tree feels overwhelming or expensive, adopting a tree or planting a plant in their name can be a more affordable and equally meaningful option. This approach offers greater flexibility in choosing the type of plant that resonates with your loved one's memory. Consider planting a tree within a tree cemetery, a green cemetery, or even in your backyard. Tree types and sizes can often be personalized based on your loved one's preferences.

Earth and Budget Friendly Shopping Guide

Check out these eco-friendly urns, keepsakes, and memorials that honor someone special. You can go green without spending too much green!

• Earth-Friendly Wildflower Paper Urn—A delicate eco-friendly urn with attached seeded paper leaf will yield wildflower blooms, creating a natural memorial for your loved one for years to come.
• Seaside Serenity Aquatic Urn—Honor your loved one with an eco-friendly, biodegradable urn designed for water ceremonies. It floats, then sinks, and dissolves peacefully, offering a serene and minimal environmental impact.
• Memorial Trees — Memorial trees are a time-honored way of celebrating someone special and a living, ongoing gift to our planet’s ecosystem.