West Midlands funeral director introduces biodegradable urns

Jennifer Ashe & Son Funeral Directors, which has five funeral homes based across the West Midlands and Staffordshire, has introduced biodegradable urns to its ever-expanding repertoire, to sit alongside ‘greener’ options such as natural burials and coffins made from natural materials.

The addition of the Nature Urns gives a pioneering option for families to consider when it comes to making funeral arrangements.

The urns are made from corn starch, which cleverly hardens as a plastic would, but then breaks down in soil when buried, massively minimising the long-term impact of the urn on the environment.

The Nature Urn is just the latest innovation to be offered by Jennifer Ashe. The company has also introduced other environmentally friendly urns, some of which are designed for water burial which will break down after spending time submerged.

Jennifer Ashe & Son also offer a range of coffin options which are made from 100% natural materials, and scatter tubes which are biodegradable and made from sustainable sources of bamboo, among other green ways of saying goodbye to loved ones.

For John Ashe, Managing Director of Jennifer Ashe & Son, it made complete sense to widen the range of choices for his company’s customers.

He said: “We’ve noticed for some time now that more and more of our customers, from pre-need to at point of need, are asking us about funeral options which minimise the impact on the environment.

“We welcome new options such as the Nature Urn, as they allow us to cater for all of our customers and give the freedom of choice which is so important when planning a funeral service. Saying goodbye is so very personal, and so it is our firm belief that we must do all we can to honour those personal preferences.

“For many years, we have been supporting families with their goodbyes to their loved ones, and many now wish for their arrangements to be as sustainable as possible.

“Having a large amount of urns, coffins and scatter tubes which leave no trace on the environment after their use allows us to help fulfil these wishes in the best way we can – which ultimately is what we aim to provide for every person that comes into our branches.”

Recent research has shown that around 80% of consumers want more environmentally friendly funerals*, something that John admits more customers have shown an interest in, of late. He added: “As a business, we are passionate about our green credentials, and helping the environment as much as possible. It is great to see the public being more conscientious, too, about the impact their funeral can have.”

Jennifer Ashe & Son Funeral Directors is an award-winning, family-run funeral directors, established in 2016. They specialise in providing a supportive and caring service for families across the West Midlands and Staffordshire during the difficult times of bereavement.

*Research from Funeral Solution Expert (FSE)