Do I have to buy a casket for cremation?

Do I have to buy a casket for cremation?

Dan Redmond (Cemetery and Funeral Inspector, California Department of Consumer Affairs ) gives expert video advice on: What are the advantages of cremation?; Are there legal restrictions about what I can do with cremated remains?; What are alternative ways to preserve cremated remains? and more...

A crematory can't require you to buy a casket for cremation. However, they will ask you to use a cremation container, which is a closed, leak-resistant container that they incinerate the body in. You can find an inexpensive container specifically for cremation through a casket store. You can also purchase them through a funeral establishment. They're probably going to be a little more costly at the funeral establishment. The reason they are expensive is because they are usually wax lined, and they facilitate the cremation process. This makes them leak resistant, and that's really the purpose of the cremation container.