Environmentally Friendly Options for Your Pet’s Ashes

Many of us are looking for more eco-friendly swaps in our daily life to reduce our impact on the planet. It’s easy nowadays to find things like reusable straws or sustainable fashion, but have you considered an environmentally friendly option for your pets ashes?

As part of our Dignity Ethics we are looking at more and more ways to return ashes to the earth. We’ve put together some of these ideas in this blog post, but we would love to hear your suggestions too.

Scattering Ashes

Scattering ashes is a really popular choice, particularly if your pet had a favourite outdoor spot. There are some restrictions in place when it comes to scattering ashes so do your research when choosing a spot. If it’s your own land you can scatter them freely, but if it’s a public space you will need to get permission from the land owner.

Helpful advice for scattering your pet’s ashes:

• Avoid scattering on a windy day and keep the wind to your back, with everyone else standing upwind.
• If scattering in a popular location, choose a quieter time to do so for privacy.
• If raking into a flower bed, keep the container close to the ground.
• If scattering on a beach, make a trench near the waters edge and fill with the cremated remains. As the tide comes in the waves will gently take them out to sea.
• Avoid scattering on land where animals could be grazing.

Our Bluebell Scatter Tube is specifically designed for scattering ashes. Made from recycled materials, the ashes are loose inside to make scattering them easy.

Burying or Interring Ashes

Some people prefer to bury or inter their pet’s ashes in their garden as a way of keeping them close. Once you have chosen a spot, dig a hole that is deep enough to house the container with at least 6 inches of soil between it and ground level. You can remove the ashes from the urn or casket if you wish to return them to the earth permanently. If you think you might want to move them in the future you can wrap the container in plastic, or place them into a sealed plastic tub.

Our Burial Caskets are biodegradable, allowing your pets ashes to return naturally to the ground over time.

If you don’t have space for your pet’s ashes at home you can have them interred in our Gardens of Remembrance. We can even reserve a spot for your own ashes in our Gardens should you wish to have them placed with your pet. Find out more about these options here.

Grow a Memorial Plant or Tree

Whether you choose to scatter or inter your pet’s ashes, adding a tree or plant is a lovely way to create a living tribute. Plants can be damaged by ashes as they have a very high pH level. To avoid this, mix them with soil or peat to create a better growing environment.

The Biotree Urn is specifically designed to help you plant a tree alongside your pets ashes. This clever urn creates a harmonious environment that is conducive to healthy plant growth by neutralising the pH of the ashes and keeping a constant environment of a pH of 6-7 for the healthy growth of the plant. Alternatively the Blooming Remembrance Heart is a biodegradable confetti heart embedded with wildflower seeds.

Biodegradable Urns

The Bio Urn is entirely made from natural materials, making it completely biodegradable. The white urn is made of soluble salt, while the brown urn is made from a blend of vegetable materials and sand. If you want to release your pet’s ashes into the sea, this beautiful urn would gently dissolve, returning your pet’s ashes back to earth. Alternatively you can bury the Bio Urn so the ashes are returned to nature.

Sustainable Caskets

If you are looking for a casket to keep your pet’s ashes indoors, we have a range made from sustainable materials. Our favourites are these stunning wooden Photo Frame Caskets which have hidden ashes containers behind the photograph.

Gravestones and Memorial Markers

If you’d like to mark the spot where your pet’s ashes have been scattered or interred we offer a range of bespoke pet gravestones and marker stones. Choose from simple pebbles, engraved plaques or gravestones featuring your pet’s paw print and portrait.

You can find out more about burying or scattering your pet’s ashes in our Paws for Thought leaflet. If you have any questions about the ideas or products above please get in touch with a member of  team.