Monthly Archives: February 2023

What is a Biodegradable Urn?

Many people look for special ways to honor their loved ones after they have undergone cremation services near College Park, MD. There is a huge variety of ways to do this with a person’s ashes. For many families, a permanent place of rest is non-negotiable. The best option for these families is generally interment, either in a columbarium niche or in a cemetery. There are many people who express the wish for their remains to be scattered or placed in a meaningful location. This is often done with scattering, but biodegradable urns are an option as well.

Biodegradable urns are fairly self-explanatory. They’re urns, which are containers made to hold a person’s cremated remains, but they are made of natural materials. Rather than the traditional ceramic, wood, or metal that you might typically associate with urns, they’re made from things like paper, cardboard, or other items that can naturally break down into the environment. They can be found in simple shapes, or you can find ones that resemble things like sea turtles and starfish, which are typically used for burials at sea.

If your loved one wanted their ashes to be laid to rest in a meaningful place, one of your options to do this is scattering their ashes there. However, this is not right for every family, and that’s where biodegradable urns can be useful instead. They are a special way to give a person burial at sea or in the ocean. Rather than trying to handle a container of ashes, you can place them all into the urn and gently release them into the water. It will briefly stay on the surface, and then you and your loved ones can watch as it slowly sinks into the water, before finally coming to rest at the bottom of the sea.

You can also use biodegradable urns to have a more eco-friendly burial. Rather than burying their ashes in a traditional urn that will take many years to break down into the soil, you can use a biodegradable one that will quickly become a part of the environment again. Many people are taking an interest in finding out ways to better protect the planet, and this is one simple way to do that. You can take comfort in the fact that you are helping to keep a cleaner planet for future generations to live on.

If you or your loved one had a passion for the planet, or if they expressed the wish to be buried at sea, you might want to learn a little more about what’s available when it comes to biodegradable urns. Your provider of cremation services near College Park, MD, can show you what they have available to purchase, and they can connect you with other resources as well. Then you can plan a water burial or land burial for your loved one’s ashes that will have as little impact on the environment as possible. You can find peace knowing that you have chosen to take steps that protect the planet.

Planning an Eco-Friendly Funeral and Burial

Part of living in the modern world is understanding that our influences on the planet are not insignificant. Many people are coming to the conclusion that making more eco-friendly choices in life is the responsible thing to do. This can be something as simple as taking reusable bags to the grocery store, or it could go as far as planning your own final arrangements in a more eco-friendly way. Your funeral home near College Park, MD can help you make these types of arrangements if it’s something that is important to you.

If you are putting together your own final arrangements or those of a loved one, you might be wondering how you can do it in a way that is better for the environment. One way to do this is by opting for a “green burial”. A green burial can mean many different things, and you don’t have to go to the most extreme route to improve your ecological footprint. One of the simplest ways to make burial more eco-friendly is by choosing a casket that is made of natural, untreated materials. Many traditional caskets are made from materials that have been treated with chemicals that extend their life significantly. For one thing, these chemicals can be extremely toxic to the soil. Additionally, it means that the caskets will sit beneath the soil without returning to a natural state for a much longer period of time.

If you want to go a step further, you can search out a cemetery that allows for burials without a concrete vault. Most cemeteries require a concrete vault to be placed in each burial site so that the soil does not collapse over time. However, these vaults inhibit the natural process of returning the body back to the environment. Some cemeteries even allow for the use of natural grave markers, as opposed to traditional headstones. These can be anything from a decorative tree or bush, to a patch of native perennial wildflowers. If your loved one was passionate about plants and nature in general, this could be a very meaningful and beautiful way to mark their place of rest.

Another way to create a greener burial is by skipping the practice of embalming. Many traditional funerals are preceded by a viewing, which requires preserving techniques that allow the person’s remains to last longer than they naturally would. Many of the chemicals used in these methods are toxic to the environment, and after burial, they are introduced to the soil. By foregoing this step, you can avoid contributing to this type of harm.

These are just a few ways that you can create a more eco-friendly funeral and burial for yourself or a loved one. Regardless of whether you choose to do all or just one of these items, you can take comfort in the fact that you’re making a more responsible decision for the planet. Taking care of our planet for future generations is becoming more and more important every day. Your funeral home near College Park, MD, can help you to plan an eco-friendly funeral and burial, and you can feel more at peace as a result.

What are Solidified Remains?

When a person has been cremated, their remains are returned to their family in the form of bone ashes. These are contained within a temporary urn, and the family chooses what to do with them from that point. Your provider of cremation services near Adelphi, MD can help you figure out what to do with your loved one’s remains, whether you choose to keep them in an urn, have them interred in a columbarium or cemetery, or scatter them. Another option is to have them processed into solidified remains.

So, what are solidified remains and how are they made? Essentially, they are able to take a person’s ashes and transform them into beautiful, solid pieces. An end result is a number of items that resemble river rocks, worn smooth and round. They are typically white in color, although variations in color do occur sometimes. You will receive a number of these solidified items back, and they come in a variety of sizes. They are natural and beautiful in appearance, all the more so because they are created using your loved one’s ashes.

What is the point of getting solidified remains? Many people are attracted to the river rock appearance. Rather than having a large amount of difficult-to-handle ashes that must be stored in an urn or interred, you can create a beautiful memorial to your loved one in your home with their solidified remains. Additionally, they can be shared amongst different households and friends. Solidified remains are easily transported, and you can even choose one to carry with you everywhere you go. Many people love to search for and collect rocks, especially those that are found near rivers or lakes. This would be the perfect way to memorialize that type of person, and it would give you a constant positive reminder of their character and memory.

Out of the many different ways to memorialize a person, solidified remains are only one of the options that are available. They aren’t right for every family, but if it strikes you as something that your loved one would have appreciated, you might want to look into it a little more in-depth. While it doesn’t provide a permanent resting place like an interment, it does give the option of sharing their remains amongst several different households. You can even lay some of the “rocks” to rest in beloved places, similar to scattering. This flexibility is just one of the reasons that solidified remains appeal to many different families.

You may have more questions about the process that creates solidified remains. You can find more information online, or ask your provider of cremation services near Adelphi, MD. They will be able to connect you with the right people who can answer any and all of your questions. If this seems like a process that would provide an apt memorial for your loved one, you may want to explore it a little bit further. If you decide to go with solidified remains for your loved one, you will be able to appreciate the natural beauty that they provide.

Making Your Loved One’s Obituary a Meaningful Tribute

Some obituaries are very simple and straightforward. They may only mention the most basic information about the person who has passed away. There is nothing wrong with this style of an obituary, but many people want to write their loved one a tribute that is more personal and memorable. Your funeral home near Adelphi, MD can give you advice on some of the things you can include, and they can help you with publishing it as well.

You might typically think of an obituary as a way of informing the community of a person’s death, as well as a way to communicate the details of their services. This is a primary function of an obituary, and thus at least these basic details should be included. Their name, dates of birth and death, and any surviving family members (or those who preceded them in death) may be mentioned. Additionally, if their funeral services will be open to the public, you can mention details of when and where the funeral and burial will take place. That way, if there are any people in the community who want to attend, they will know how to do so.

While this is one of the main purposes of writing and publishing an obituary, it can serve many other functions as well. For instance, a published obituary remains a part of the public record for generations to come. It can provide future generations with information about their family’s past. It can also be a meaningful tribute to that person’s memory, which can be shared with many different people all at the same time.

With this in mind, you can begin to imagine what other things might be included in a person’s obituary. Take some time to think about their passions, hobbies, and how they chose to spend their time. Did they love gardening, or were they talented cooks? Perhaps they traveled across the world, or maybe they were an accomplished athlete. Maybe they simply dedicated their time to their family. Many people spend a lot of time contributing to their community, either by volunteering, coaching, teaching, or participating in a social club. These are all important things that you can mention. If they spent a portion of their life serving our country in the military, you will likely want to include details about that, as well. Whatever made them into the person they were, is worth including.

These are a few ideas to get you started on writing a personal and meaningful obituary for your loved one. While it can be a difficult and emotional process, it can also be cathartic in some ways. You will never regret putting together a written memorial to your loved one, which will stand the test of time. Future generations can learn more about their family’s past thanks to what you write. If you need assistance in finding out how and where to publish the obituary, simply ask your funeral home near Adelphi, MD. They can connect you with the right resources to get it all taken care of. Then, you can find peace in knowing that you have paid tribute to your loved one’s memory in this way.

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