What Do Temporary Urns Look Like?

Temporary urns are the vessel you receive from the crematorium after your loved one has been cremated and are shaped like a box with a lid. They aren’t built like permanent urns because all you need to do is open the box or remove the lid to retrieve the ashes inside. The cremains are typically encased in a sealable plastic bag inside the temporary urn.

Types of Temporary Urns

Temporary urns come in various materials but don’t have the same level of sealing that permanent urns have since they are not intended to be long-lasting.

Here are a few different types of temporary urn options you might come across:

• A metal temporary urn This urn is generally made of less expensive metal like tin and is typically gold or silver in color.
• A plastic temporary urn This urn is made from polypropylene, acrylic, or any other type of engineered plastic material.
• A cardboard temporary urn This is the most common form of a temporary urn and is essentially just a small cardboard box.

The crematorium or funeral home will place the ashes in a plastic bag before placing them into the temporary urn to provide an extra layer of protection and support for the ashes. Having the ashes in a plastic bag also makes it easier to transfer them into a more permanent urn should you wish to go that route.

Can You Bury a Temporary Urn?

No rule states that you have to seal an urn before burial, which means that a temporary urn can be buried. Most cemeteries will require you to use a burial vault to prevent the ground from caving in over time, but once the vault is in, you can bury your temporary urn as is, there is no need to buy a different type of urn.