Some families keep the ashes in an urn. Some spread the ashes over beautiful land or over the sea. 

There are mausoleums for storing the ashes permanently. Loved ones can go and visit these sites.

In the United States, it is possible to put the ashes into bullets. Going down this path allows the deceased person to continue to "protect" his or her family even after death. 

The ashes can also be made into fireworks.

What better way to go out with a bang?

Another option: Make the ashes into tattoo ink and then get a Dad or Mum tattoo. That might be too creepy for me. 

I like this option: Make the ashes into stained glass. Then the loved one helps contribute beautiful light.

Still other options: Put the ashes in a Teddy Bear. Or send them into space. Personally, I would rather go into space when I am alive.

Unfortunately, cremation takes a huge amount of energy and creates somewhat toxic smoke if the person has mercury tooth fillings. So, death-oriented organisations are developing alternatives.

One new idea involves putting a body in potassium hydroxide and water, all heated a bit. The chemical bath dissolves the person into liquids in a few hours, leaving a total of a few hundred litres. No one will want to put that on the mantle. But a person can pour the liquid remains on the ground. 

Old-fashioned burial is still as popular as ever. Australia has plenty of land for that, but the wide-open land is not close to where most people live and die.

Casket selection is part of the huge burial industry. Metal or wood? How about eco-friendly bamboo or cardboard? What kind of tombstone? With what on it?

As if it is not hard enough to lose someone, having to make decisions about final placement adds to the difficulty of the situation.

It would help if individuals indicated in writing what they want as their final treatment. But few people do.

Here, I will set a model: When I die, think of whether I ever told you that you would do something only over my dead body. Then do that literally over my dead body. Finally, do with my dead body whatever is cheapest and eco-friendly.

John Malouff is an Associate Professor at the School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences, University of New England.