No, you don’t need a casket for cremation, but you do need to have at least a cremation container. There is no need to buy a cremation casket. You may want to consider buying a casket if you are planning on holding a viewing or funeral service. However there are more affordable options than can still look nice.
What Do We Mean by Cremation Caskets?
In this article, by cremation caskets, we are referring to traditional looking caskets made of solid wood or wood veneer, as well as wicker caskets made of materials like bamboo, seagrass, willow or rattan. These are the more premium options and are designed for display during viewings and funeral services. Separate to these are cremation containers, or alternative containers which are designed purely with function in mind and not specifically to be displayed.
Why Do You Need a Casket for Cremation?
You don’t need a casket or coffin, but you do need a container to be cremated in the US. Funeral homes must offer another option to a casket, known as an “alternative container”. To be cremated the body must be placed in a rigid, combustible container. A container is needed to protect the body during transport, seal the body from leakage, and protect those handling the body during transport and cremation. Having the body inside a rigid container also makes it much easier to roll it into the cremation chamber.
The body is usually not removed from the cremation container once it arrives at the crematorium. The container is incinerated together with the body as part of the cremation process. This is why it must be made of combustible materials.
Water cremation is an exception to these requirements. The body is not cremated with a casket or container during the water cremation process (also known as aquamation, flameless cremation, alkaline hydrolysis and others). Instead, a special decomposable bag or silk shroud is used. Any casket the body may have been in is separately disposed of.
In certain states of Australia, the body can be cremated in a shroud for flame based cremation. A shroud is a covering made of cloth which is wrapped around the body. A hard flat base, called a shroud bearer or carriage, must still be used so it can be rolled into the cremation chamber.
Cremation Container Requirements
A container used as an alternative to a casket for cremation must meet the following requirements:
- Made of materials that burn completely (i.e. cannot have any metal parts like hinges or handles).
- Leak-proof (dead bodies can release liquids).
- Ridged and capable of handling the weight of the body.
Simple alternative containers are usually made of heavy-duty cardboard or fiberboard with cutouts for handles and sometimes reinforced bases.
Alternatives to Buying a Casket for Cremation
If you don’t want to purchase a casket for cremation you have several alternatives:
- Alternative cremation container
- Cloth covered casket
- Simple pine box
- Rental casket
- Memorial service or celebration of life without the body present
Alternative Cremation Container
Alternative cremation containers are usually provided by funeral homes or crematories as part of the cremation package or at a modest additional cost. They are purely functional and can be made of heavy duty cardboard or fiberboard. There are a few ways you can dress it up if you want to have the body present at a viewing:
- Add a liner and pillow (for open casket).
- Decorate the box with a nice sheet, quilt, flowers and photos.
Alternative cremation containers will come at no additional cost, or from around $50 to $150 if charged as an extra.
Cloth Covered Casket
A cloth covered casket is a cheaper alternative to a traditional casket. They are generally made from cardboard or fiberboard with a covering of material like cotton or wool. These make them more presentable than the basic containers but still affordable.
Simple Pine Box
Many funeral homes offer a simple pine box as an option in-between a cremation container and a cremation casket. These can also be decorated to make them look better on display. Pine boxes cost from around $400-$800.
Rental Casket
Renting a casket is an option if you want to have a “proper” looking casket. Rental caskets look just like traditional burial caskets but have a flap in the foot of the casket where the body is slid in and out on a separate insert. Later, just the insert and cover are cremated. The body itself never comes into contact with the rental casket. See what else there is to know when considering a rental casket for cremation.
Memorial Service or Celebration of Life
Consider hosting a memorial service or celebration of life instead of a viewing or traditional funeral service for your loved one. Memorial services and celebrations of life don’t have the body present so there is no need for a casket. You can still have an urn with the cremated remains present.
Do You Need a Casket for Direct Cremation?
No, you do not need a casket for direct cremation. Direct cremation is where the body is taken straight for cremation, without any additional ceremonies like viewings for funeral services. In these cases it is not necessary to spend extra on a casket that no family or friends would ever see. However, if it was the preference of your loved one to be cremated in a casket, or you would feel better about it then go ahead. The cost of an alternative container is usually included in the price of direct cremation.
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