Sharing Sources: The Living Urn
THE LIVING URN
As more people turn to cremation in the United States, the options for urns and sustainable containers has grown. The Cremation Association of North America has seen a 7.5% increase in cremation in the past five years. In 2020, 56.1% of individuals who died in the United States were cremated. In Canada, the number was even higher, with 73.1% of all deceased being cremated. These growing numbers, coupled with a heightened awareness of the environmental impact of burials, has led to new product developments, from eco-caskets to shrouds to biodegradable urns.
One of the leaders in eco-urns is The Living Urn. The Denver-based company’s unique, patented urn provides the nutrients necessary for establishing a memorial tree from the deceased’s ashes.
After the death of a mutual friend, the founders—childhood friends—collaborated to create a memorial that would last for generations. Working with a team of soil scientists, engineers, and arborists, they developed a planting system that helps to guarantee growth. The customizable bamboo urn comes with an organic interior urn called the BioUrn. Cremains are placed within the BioUrn and then topped with soils (included with the urn) right before planting.
Individuals are able to choose from over 50 tree types, searchable by planting zones using the zip code of the area where the tree will be planted. The tree is cultivated in The Living Urn’s greenhouses to a level of growth that maximizes the rate of the planting’s success. The tree can be shipped separately from the urn, allowing the person who will be cremated to be involved in selecting the tree before death. The bamboo exterior, which is not buried with the interior BioUrn, can be engraved and become a keepsake for loved ones.
The Living Urn offers products beyond the BioUrn, including an Eco Water Urn. This was designed to float for a few minutes, giving people time for ceremonies and rituals before it dissolves into the water. The surface of this urn can be painted, written on, and personally decorated to honor the deceased. Another option is the Flow Ice Urn, which is coordinated through participating funeral homes and allows one’s ashes to float within ice before being carried away by a larger body of water. Lastly, for those who want to scatter ashes, the sustainable Eco Scattering Urn is designed for scattering and secure transport.
In 2018, the company began to establish Memory Forests in partnership with cemeteries and memorial parks, providing space for people to plant their Living Urns. Over 25 Memory Forests have been established to date with plans to add twenty more before the end of 2021. They currently offer tree care and some locations will allow for remote viewing of the tree.