A cremation casket is legally required for cremation. It can be a simple container, which is strong enough to hold the body. This could be a box of plywood or pressboard.
Some crematories accept metal caskets; most require the container to be combustible.
Cremation Choices
If the body is cremated ...
- The remains can be stored by the family - and perhaps kept on display - in an urn or other container.
- The remains can be placed in a niche within a columbarium.
- The remains can be buried in the ground in a regular plot or in a smaller cremation plot.
Here are some other reasons you might choose cremation:
1. Cremation is traditional in your family, religious group, or geographical area
2. You prefer the body to be returned quickly
- Many people believe that a cremated body becomes one with nature more quickly.
3. You have environmental concerns
4. Perhaps you are worried about the use of valuable land for cemetery space, or believe it is wrong to fill the ground with materials that won't erode... metal caskets and vaults.
5. You want to keep the costs down
- Selecting cremation does not mean; however, that you will have an inexpensive funeral.
- You might still choose an expensive casket and/or a viewing, and/or decide to have the cremated remains buried in the ground or placed in a columbarium. These choices can bring your costs up to those of a traditional funeral.
Decisions You Must Make If You Choose Cremation
- Whether to use an urn or container
- What to do with the cremated remains
If you are distributing the remains...
Some jurisdictions have laws prohibiting the scattering of remains; others require a permit. Ask your funeral director.
Be sure to ask permission if you want to use private property.
What about using the remains to create new life, by planting a tree? Some survivors choose to mix the remains with the soil in flowerbeds and rose gardens at home. Every time the roses bloom, you will be reminded of your loved one.
If you decide to do this, however, consider what will happen if, some day, you move away.
