After cremation, ashes often are returned to family members in a simple container. Decisions about what to do with them next can be expensive and fraught.

People say ‘well it is only ashes’. Well, you get a mouthful yourself and tell me if it is a pleasant experience — it is an awful thing to happen,” he said.

Scattering ashes in the UK is legal with the landowner’s consent, provided environmental guidelines are met. In the U.S., rules differ by state, with national parks requiring a special use ...

"People are scattering ashes all the time. There's been a remarkable increase in that choice. Just 10 short years ago, the cremation rate was probably less than 25 percent here," he said.