Using a non-Biodegradable Urn for Land Burial

There are several considerations when a decision is made to bury a non-biodegradable urn for ashes in the earth.

Biodegradable urns are made for and are ideal to bury on land or in water. The biodegradable urns are designed to disintegrate over time so that the ashes become part of the earth or part of the body of water during the urn's breakdown.

As a preferred memorial, many people choose to bury, on land, in a non-biodegradable urn. In this instance, it's important to select an urn made of a material that will last a long time such as metal. Opting for an urn burial opens the door to a large variety of artistic and specialized urn styles. But in making this choice, be aware of the following before deciding on the urn.

Burying a non-biodegradable urn on land:

• Burial urns can get crushed by the earth on top of it. For this reason many people select to house the urn in an urn vault. There are many types of urn vaults manufactured with various materials. The urn vaults sell at a wide price range, but their function remains consistent and of great importance - to make sure the urn remains in tact and is not crushed.
• A cemetery may have restrictions. Quite often the cemetery requires that the urn be housed in an urn vault. This guarantees that the land above the urn won't collapse if the urn gets crushed.
• On your private land, an urn burial is your call. But before doing so, check with your local county for any restrictions.
• Some burial urns are made of various hard stone such as granite and marble. Very often these urns can be buried under the earth without an urn vault. Some of them are even advertised as being both an urn and urn vault.

Knowing these considerations opens many options to house your loved one's ashes in an urn that expresses your feelings rather than being limited to the biodegradable urn selection.