The common image most of us have of scattering ashes is one of a casting ceremony for scattering ashes where the ashes are tossed into the wind or sprinkled on the surface of a lake, river, or sea. Whether one person is responsible for the casting or it's a group effort, casting a loved one's ashes can present challenges.
A floating ceremony
requires the purchase of a water-soluble urn, which will float for a few minutes before sinking below the surface to bio-degrade naturally.
A trenching ceremony
involves digging a shallow trench into the soil, which is filled from the urn, and then raked over at the conclusion of the ceremony.