From our sister site, Final Embrace (a funeral home management and marketing blog):
The biodegradable cremation urns from Passages happened by accident.
Darren Crouch and his business partner, Tim Rivera (a licensed director and funeral home owner) started the company after noticing that most of the cremation families they served were bypassing the traditional urns and taking the least expensive option (a plastic or cardboard box).
After diligent research, it became obvious that families were not being presented with realistic options. The traditional urn offerings, even when priced extremely low, were rejected by the new breed of cremation buyer.
Their focus quickly changed to finding an appropriate non-traditional urn design that would fill the gap.
Because they couldn’t use traditional materials such as polished wood, stone or marble, they searched for another option. This search led them to biodegradable papers.
The papers (made from mulberry tree bark sometimes infused with flowers) are both biodegradable and attractive. An added benefit to the makers: they don’t look like traditional urns.
“There’s a close connection between cremation consumers and the environment,” says Crouch, president of Passages. And since burial is often touted for its preservative nature, many who want a more natural or “ashes-to-ashes” disposition turn to cremation.
(Pictured above: Journey Earthurn from Passages)
During the first several years of existence, the men fielded numerous requests about using their urns for water scattering. While their Journey Earthurn (a staple of their line and a big seller) was suitable for water disposition and unique in its own right, they searched for something that would be “clearly themed” with an obvious use. Further research revealed that 40% of cremation families intend to scatter the remains, while 70% of those will do so over water.
Taking into account the challenges and shortcomings of other urns designed for water burial, the men created the Shell Deep Water Bio Urn.
A step above the competition, the Shell urn is easy to load (no seams to match up or sides to snap together) and comes with a convenient carrying case and a water-soluble plastic bag for the remains. Each urn is specially-molded from recycled paper and handpainted in a choice of three colors. A best seller, their Shell line now includes a permanent keepsake shell urn. Interestingly, Passages donates a portion of each sale to The Ocean Conservancy in memory of the deceased.
