Why choose a biodegradable urn?
When you need them. If you want to bury the ashes of a loved one in a body of water -- such as an ocean -- and you want to use an urn, it must be a biodegradable urn. That is an urn that will breakdown and dissolve after it has been in the water for a period of time.
How they work. Biodegradable urns are made from materials that will dissolve in water over time. The most common materials are hardened paper and ceramic clay. Our urns are made of unfired ceramic clay. They float for 3 to 5 minutes before sinking -- this allows everyone onboard a good view of the cremains before the urn sinks -- and then they sink to the bottom and biodegrade.
How they sink. Biodegradable urns slowly allow water to enter the urn and then sink. The time it takes to sink varies among brands, but our urns are made to sink within 3 to 5 minutes.
What are the essentials?
Size. Our urns are about 12 inches tall and hold about 270 cubic centimeters. This will hold the ashes of most persons. Sometimes a family wants to bury two persons at once, such as a husband and wife, and we have a large urn for this purpose. It is approximately 400 cubic centimeters. Both urns work exactly the same way.
Placement. Once the ashes are placed in the urn, it is placed in the water for final commitment. The urn slowly floats away from the boat and then sinks within minutes. It dissolves in water within a few days. If buried on land, it dissolves within six months to a year. Use great care when handling these urns as they are very fragile. They are similar in composition to dried cookie dough.
Storage. Our urns have a shelf life of about one year. If your memorial plans are delayed, the urn will still be usable up to 12 months later.
Price and Shipping. Our standard Urns are $195. Our two person urns are $245. Shipping is free in the continental U.S.
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