If your loved one passed away at a weight about 200 lbs or if they chose aquamation (liquid cremation) then their ashes may not fit in a conventional adult urn. So what are you options?
Most adult urns have a capacity of about 200 cubic inches. That allows for ashes from most adults weighing up to 200 lbs.
What to do with excess ashes?
For larger people, there will be more ashes. For example, ashes from a 250 lb man would have a volume of 250 cubic inches.
If a 200 lb person was aquamated (liquid cremation) instead of flame cremated, you can expect 20-30% more ashes.
In either case, two urns would be necessary. Or an adult urn and a keepsake urn may be the solution. A keepsake urn is a smaller urn that is designed to hold a less amount of ashes and is employed when family members divide ashes.
One option: Scatter some of the ashes
Another way to deal with this is to fill the urn you select with the ashes to capacity and then scatter the remainder. For this you might require a scattering tube as a temporary measure. Ashes can be scattered in any body of water or on public land. It can also be scattered on private land too, however some people chose not to do that if they want to visit the site in future, as properties change hands.
Learn more about ash scattering options in these articles:
- Scatter, Bury of Keep? What to Do With a Loved One's Ashes
- Rules for scattering ashes in Canada
- What to do with cremated ashes to honour a loved one
More Cremation Urn Info:
- Ask a question at support@eirene.ca
- Visit our company website
- Need to make funeral arrangements? Click here
- Read our Urns for Ashes Resource Guide
- See more urn-related blog posts
