Death is complex and involves a plethora of emotions. After the passing away of a loved one, be it family, friends, or pets, one might feel devastated, angry, overwhelmed, confused, etc. Many questions arise regarding what to do now and planning funeral arrangements. Some may decide to bury their deceased, while others may opt for cremation, and no one size fits all. People do what they feel is right according to their beliefs and values.
The cremation process leaves people curious, wanting to know how it works and other factors involved with it. If you want to learn more about what cremation is, how much ash is left after the cremation of a person or a pet, and lastly, what to do with ashes after cremation, keep on reading.
What is Cremation?
Cremation is the technique of disposing of a dead body through burning at a high temperature. It may sound like a simple procedure; however, it is quite complex. The following steps are involved in the cremation process:
- Once the remains are handed over to the crematory, any metal items such as jewelryare removed from the body. This also includes medical devices such as pacemakers, as they can be dangerous during cremation.
- The body is placed into a container and then placed into the cremation chamber with a temperature of up to 1400 to 1600 degrees Fahrenheit (760 to 982 degrees Centigrade).
- After a few hours, all organic remains will have been consumed by the high heat or evaporation.
- Any remaining bones are removed from the chamber and processed finely using a grinder.
- The ash remains, also known as cremains, are placed in a temporary vessel and handed over to the family or loved ones.
How Is Ash Measured After Cremation?
Most crematories utilize cubic inches metrics as the measurement standard to measure the ash after cremation. An area that is 1-inch wide, deep, and high is referred to as a cubic inch.
Different variables determine how much ash is left after the cremation. But an approximation is that for every 1 pound of weight, we get 1 cubic inch of ashes after cremation. For instance, if a person weighs 169 lbs., the cremated remains will be equal to around 169 cubic inches.
How Much Ash Is Left After Cremation?
After the cremation, the typical weight of ashes is around 5 to 6 lbs. However, this is not set in stone. The ashes can weigh less and more than this as well. The average volume of the cremains may vary depending on different factors such as weight, height, age, etc., of someone.
Ashes Left After Cremation of a Person
The volume and weight of ashes left after the cremation of a person include the following factors:
- Height:the taller someone is, the more cremains they leave. So, taller people will produce more ash from the cremation process as compared to short people.
- Age: Age also contributes to the amount of ash left after cremation. Children yield a smaller quantity of ashes than most adults. However, young adults’ bodies leave more cremains than the bodies of elderly adults. This happens because the younger bodies have more bone density which decreases with age.
- Gender:Typically, the male body is larger with denser bones as compared to women’s, yielding more ash after cremation.
So, considering all the factors, the volume of cremated remains of an average adult is around 180 to 210 cubic inches.
Ashes Left After Cremation of a Pet
Many people wonder how much ash they will get after their pet’s cremation. The above-discussed factors are also applied when determining the volume and weight of a pet’s cremains. So, the size of your pet decides how much ash you will be taking home with you after cremating your deceased pet.
Following are the average volume and weight of ashes for dogs, cats, and horses – a few of some popular pets, so you get an idea of the size of urn you will need. However, if you want exact and specific details regarding your pet’s cremains, it would be best to discuss this with professionals who handle cremation.
Cats
Cats are typically smaller creatures and leave behind a small quantity of ashes, around 2 or 3 cups’ worth.
Dogs
Dogs’ cremains also vary depending on weight, height, age, and breed. The average weight of cremated remains of dogs is around 3.6% of their total body weight. If you want to get a vague idea, the ashes of a large dog are enough to fill a standard rectangular-sized box of Kleenex tissues.
Horses
An adult horse is quite large and may weigh between 800 to 2000 lbs., so their ashes’ volume will be around 800 to 2000 cubic inches.
Urn Sizes for Ashes
The standard size of an urn is around 200 cubic inches. If you wish to fill an urn fully, you will need 200 cubic inches of ashes. However, it is not necessary to fill an urn all the way to its maximum capacity. We recommend always buying a larger urn, especially if you are making a purchase ahead of time. You wouldn’t want to bring in a loved one’s ashes, then discover that your urn is a size too small and will not hold all the ashes.
A companion urn designed for the ashes of two people has a general capacity of 380-400 cubic inches.
Urns for children, infants, and pets come in different sizes ranging from 40 cubic inches to 180 cubic inches.
It is important to note that external measurements of an urn don’t help in figuring out the exact capacity of an urn, as many have rounded edges, decorative hands, and other features that determine their external size but not the inner capacity. Hence, always ask for the capacity besides the dimensions of an urn.
What To Do with Ashes After Cremation?
Besides how much ash is left after the cremation, people also wonder what to do with ashes after cremation. There are many ways to deal with the cremains of your loved ones. The most traditional way is to keep the ashes of your friends, family, or pets in an urn:
You can keep the ashes in standard urns, large enough to hold the remains of an average adult, and are usually made of various materials such as metal, marble, wood, or glass.
Keepsake urns are smaller urns that can hold a small portion of cremated ashes, making them an excellent option for people who want to share the ashes of a beloved.
Companion urns are ideal if someone wants to keep the combined ashes of two people together. It can be the ashes of spouses, parents, grandparents, siblings, pets with owners, etc.
Apart from urns, there are more ways to honor and keep the ashes of your loved ones and pets, including:
Interring the Ashes
You can choose to place or bury the ashes permanently after cremation. This process is known as interment. You may bury the ashes-filled urn in a cemetery or burial plot or keep the urn in a columbarium, an area designed with small niches to keep urns.
Or you can do a water burial where you fill a biodegradable and waterproof urn with ashes and release it into the sea.
Scattering the Ashes
If you do not wish to keep the ashes in one place, you can scatter the remains of a deceased. We think there is nothing more beautiful than letting the wind take your loved ones. You can scatter the ashes in a scattering garden or some other special place or launch them into space with the assistance of meteorological balloons.
Traveling with the Ashes
You can see the world with your deceased family, friend, or pet by taking their ashes with you wherever you go. You can even scatter their ashes in each place you visit or a place that holds special meaning to them.
Putting the Ashes in Jewelry
You can keep your loved ones always close by getting memorial jewelry made with their ashes. It includes cremation necklaces, bracelets, rings, keychains, and hourglasses. You can also get ashes to turn into diamonds through a carbonized process.
Getting a Tattoo with the Ashes
Did you know you can get a tattoo with your loved one’s ashes? This is done by integrating the ashes into the ink and getting a tattoo. It is also known as a memorial tattoo.
Putting the Ashes in Art
Celebrate and honor your loved one’s life with art. You can choose to put the ashes in different art mediums such as vinyl records, portraits, paintings, or even sculptures.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Cremated Remains
Here are a few common FAQs about ashes and cremation answered:
Do You Receive All the Ashes After Cremation?
If you work with a professional and reputable crematory, you will get all the ashes returned to you after cremation. Few particles may get lost in the cremation chamber, but that amount is negligible.
How Do You Receive Ashes After Cremation?
A crematory typically hands over the cremated remains to the family in a temporary urn or container. If the amount of ashes goes over the capacity of an urn, then the rest may be given in a cardboard box container.
What Does Cremains Look Like?
The cremated remains look like gray or grayish-brown, coarse, fine sand.
How Long Is the Cremation Process?
The total time taken to complete a cremation process varies depending on factors such as the weight and height of the body, the efficiency of the crematory equipment, and the type of vessel used to contain the body.
How Much Does Cremation Cost?
Cremation costs vary depending on the state, city, type of cremation service, and a few other factors. Here are the direct cremation costs of a few states:
- Cost of cremation in Florida: $980 to $2,600
- Cost of cremation in Kansas: $1430 to $2,045
- Cost of cremation in Georgia: $850 to $3,500
- Cost of cremation in Oregon: Up to $2,300
Is There Only One Type of Cremation?
No, there are two types of cremation:
Flame Cremation: This is the more common type of cremation where high temperatures up to 2000 F are used to burn the body and oxidize and vaporize soft tissues and bones.
Water-Based Cremation: In this method, also known as flawless cremation, the body is dissolved through alkaline chemicals.
Why Are More People Choosing Cremation?
Nowadays, many people are opting for cremation over traditional burying because of the following reasons:
- Lower costs
- No fear of natural decomposition
- Flexible service options
- Simple arrangements
- Less time consuming