The funeral sector is seeing a marked rise in the popularity of urns that serve more than one purpose, reflecting a wider shift in how families wish to remember loved ones. Increasingly ashes are being placed not only into decorative vessels but into urns designed to double as vases, candles or even the starting point for new life.
JC Atkinson, long recognised as an innovator and environmental stalwart within the sector, has been at the forefront of this change offering a wide range of urns in their Forever Urns range that meet modern families’ expectations. Their new brochure features many additions. The Luce Candle Urn , for example, has grown in popularity by offering both an elegant keepsake and the warm, symbolic glow of a candle and now comes in new colours. Similarly, urns that serve as vases for flowers allow fresh life and colour to accompany the memory of a loved one, bringing a sense of ongoing presence.
Luce Candle Urn
A beautiful white fibreglass urn with a candle holder
offering a highly decorative, but also very long-lasting and
robust product.
Memorial Vase
Keep your loved one close by your side in the centre of your home. The Memorial Vase Urn is a full size cremation urn with the appearance and functionality of a beautiful flower vase.
Biodegradable urns are another area of growth, as more people seek eco-conscious memorials that give back to the earth. The Acorn Urn and new Mushroom Urn exemplify this trend, designed to nurture new plant or fungal growth from the ashes, while the Cork Urn offers a natural aesthetic with a minimal environmental footprint. These designs speak to families who want a legacy rooted in renewal, aligning memorialisation with sustainability.
The Acorn Urn
Acorn Urns have a specially designed lid and base made from moulded recycled kraft and paper, with the stalk of the lid made from a twist of tissue paper. They are finished with paper made from mulberry pulp and supplied individually boxed. Made in the UK, the close fitting lid makes the Acorn Urn ideal for the storage, or burial of ashes.
Mushroom Urn
The Loop EarthRise™ Mushroom Urn is a sustainable urn that allows you to become a source of new life and be remembered as a tree in nature. You can use the Loop EarthRise™ with a plant in the lid, at home as a unique ornament, or bury it in a beautiful spot in your garden or at a (natural) cemetery.
Cork Urn
Embracing Life’s Cycle. Transform cherished memories into a lasting legacy with our Cork Urn—a beautifully designed biodegradable memorial made from natural cork. Thoughtfully crafted to nurture new life, this eco-friendly urn is designed to hold the ashes of a loved one, allowing them to become part of the soil and integrate seamlessly into the root system of a young tree. As the tree grows, it serves as a living tribute, symbolising remembrance, renewal, and the enduring cycle of nature. A meaningful way to celebrate life and create a greener future.
Aesthetics remain important too. The Mother of Pearl Urns now available in new colours, continue to appeal to families who prefer traditional beauty with a contemporary twist. By offering choice and elegance, such designs ensure that even conventional urns feel deeply personal.
The Mother of Pearl
A pearl aluminium urn with a decorative engraved screwable lid which,
when removed, can hold a large amount of ashes. On the lid itself there is a small spherical area to place a tealight.
