One of the Last Things to Worry About

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is the only delivery service that handles cremated remains "as others refuse to transport what is considered hazardous material." However, it loses track of many deliveries.

A 2023 USPS inspector-general report noted 452 undelivered cremated-remains packages at its mail-recovery center in Atlanta. The Postal Service is the only shipper that handles cremated remains, as others refuse to transport what is considered hazardous material. The inspector general concluded the Postal Service needed to improve its internal tracking system.

These shipments are insurable, yet cash settlements for families often do not make up for the loss of a loved one's remains.

With many Americans having dwelled in several locales throughout their lives, there is a high probability that there would be more of these shipments, as they would like their ashes to be transferred from the place where they died to, for example, the place where other family members are buried. (Such will likely be true in my case.)

Your humble blogger is reluctant to propose additional regulation, but perhaps government intervention is necessary to, say, indemnify the competition so that they can provide alternatives to the USPS.