Alternate place to buy paper sacrament cups?

I understand store.lds.org could be out of paper sacrament cups through the end of the year(!). My Bishop asked me to see if we can find some alternate source for paper cups, to avoid the distraction from plastic cups. Any suggestions/recommendations? Thanks.

What distraction are you trying to avoid? The plastic cups seem to be quite a bit cheaper.

mfmohlma wrote:What distraction are you trying to avoid?

Probably the sound of the plastic cup hitting the bottom of the tray. I think we have a folded paper towel to take care of that.

russellhltn wrote:

mfmohlma wrote:What distraction are you trying to avoid?

Probably the sound of the plastic cup hitting the bottom of the tray. I think we have a folded paper towel to take care of that.

Yes. Our ward does the same thing. I personally don't even think that's necessary, but to each his own.

mfmohlma wrote:I personally don't even think that's necessary, but to each his own.

When plastic cups first came out, we dutifully loaded them up in our metal trays the first Sunday. The bishop realized his first error and got a few smiles when he tried to crunch the plastic cup before putting it in the tray. Old habits.

But when the deacon left the last step from the stand and rounded toward the congregation, that plastic cup decided it did not want to be crunched.

The metal shot as the cup banged the inside of the tray was heard in the cultural hall. The serviceman on the first row thought he had been shot, and reverence vanished.

Today, we use plastic cups in plastic trays. Back then, we finally found that paper towels in the bottom of the metal trays were the best answer for noise reduction. And there were a few heated discussions in stake bishopric training meetings.

Thanks, everyone, for the plastic cups feedback. I appreciate it and will take it into consideration. Anyone have any insights on where to purchase paper cups? Thanks, again.

I've seen wards that use a rubber mat with a slit in it instead of paper towels. It is another thing that has to be washed, but it's more elegant than the paper towels.

How many ounces of water do the sacrament cups hold? I'm guessing 1/2 ounce?

I'm finding some 1/2 ounce paper cups on Google labeled as "paper souffle cups" – it seems like they're mainly for samples, or for small portions of medicine. I'm not sure how the size compares or how it would fit in a tray. Most of them don't look as deep as a sacrament cup.

Thanks, Samuel. I really appreciate your help.

UNEXPECTED RESOLUTION: I just saw paper cups are already available, again, via store.lds.org. So much for that possibly-unavailable-through-the-end-of-the-year timeline . . .

Also, as a gee whiz item, the Church definitely seems to get a good deal, as we get 250 cups for around $3.1 compared with above $5 on Amazon (for 1/2, 3/4, or 1 oz cups). Hurray for volume discounts!

It looks like the Church makes their own cups, at least the plastic ones:
https://www.facebook.com/LDS/videos/10154149055691550/

I believe you can just use 1/2 oz paper portion cups. From my 30 seconds of research, I see a case of 5000 paper cups for $28 @webstaurantstore, $41 on amazon, $35@costco business (I am not endorsing any of these businesses - just what came up at the top of the search).

fletch74 wrote:UNEXPECTED RESOLUTION: I just saw paper cups are already available, again, via store.lds.org. So much for that possibly-unavailable-through-the-end-of-the-year timeline . . .

Also, as a gee whiz item, the Church definitely seems to get a good deal, as we get 250 cups for around $3.1 compared with above $5 on Amazon (for 1/2, 3/4, or 1 oz cups). Hurray for volume discounts!

Looks like they are gone again. Only options are plastic and plastic.

jtjacks wrote:I believe you can just use 1/2 oz paper portion cups. From my 30 seconds of research, I see a case of 5000 paper cups for $28 @webstaurantstore, $41 on amazon, $35@costco business (I am not endorsing any of these businesses - just what came up at the top of the search).

Would they fit in the holes on the sacrament tray? Most of the cups I've seen online are short and wide.

I served the Sacrament this Sunday at an elderly home here in Utah and noticed the hard time that the elderly were having in picking up the small cups. Are there any sacrament cups that anyone knows about that have extra grip for easier access? I sympathized with some of the elderly who would sometimes spill the cups on themselves, in embarrassment.

ldsmexlife wrote:I served the Sacrament this Sunday at an elderly home here in Utah and noticed the hard time that the elderly were having in picking up the small cups. Are there any sacrament cups that anyone knows about that have extra grip for easier access? I sympathized with some of the elderly who would sometimes spill the cups on themselves, in embarrassment.

Were you using paper or plastic? I'd think the paper ones would be easier to hold, but perhaps too easy to crush. A bit more expensive ($82.75 for 6500 or 1.3¢ per cup), but I'd it might be the only option while sticking to "church standard practice".

I don't know of a place to get disposable cups with better grip.

We have taken the sacrament to several shut ins and we often don't use disposable cups because of the difficulty some elderly members have picking them up. We use some small glasses that we wash between uses (one ounce sherry or cordial glasses I bought for a dollar at a restaurant supply store, as I recall). Because they have stems, they are much easier for people with limited hand grip strength to pick up. If you don't like the stemmed type, they also make tapered glasses that are fairly easy to grasp.

My own parents had to receive the sacrament at home (in Utah) for their last few years. They kept a pair of similar glasses and a small plate on hand that the young men could use when they came to administer the sacrament. That way the young men didn't have to bring anything with them but their priesthood.

jtjacks wrote:My own parents had to receive the sacrament at home (in Utah) for their last few years. They kept a pair of similar glasses and a small plate on hand that the young men could use when they came to administer the sacrament. That way the young men didn't have to bring anything with them but their priesthood.

Even better, they didn't have to make sure they got cleaned between each use.

I need to understand why the church is still producing PLASTIC ANYTHING when plastic pollution is killing our planet. Surely we should be leading the way as a very responsible consumer and go right back to WASHABLE sacrament cups?????? Please advise me where we can carry this initiative forward?

mp12 wrote:Please advise me where we can carry this initiative forward?

Your stake president will be able to forward your suggestion through priesthood channels to those who make these types of decisions.

mp12 wrote:I need to understand why the church is still producing PLASTIC ANYTHING when plastic pollution is killing our planet. Surely we should be leading the way as a very responsible consumer and go right back to WASHABLE sacrament cups?????? Please advise me where we can carry this initiative forward?

The church went away from reusable cups for hygiene and safety reasons. If you feel strongly about the use of plastic, paper is a renewable resource - so maybe advocating paper over plastic would be appropriate. However, I don't think we are likely to see a return to reusable cups. Procuring and managing that many glass (metal?) cups could be a challenge, and I personally wouldn't be comfortable trusting the health of ward members to the dish washing abilities of (most of) our teachers quorum members (I have been camping with too many of them...). We have a hard enough time getting them to keep the trays clean (mold free).

I also think this should be considered in perspective. Consider all the plastic that gets used in the typical building in the US: Plastic carpet, plastic upholstery in the chapel and relief society room, plastic-based paints on the walls, plastic gym floor finish (renewed yearly), plastic bound scriptures, plastic cups, utensils, table covers at activities, the list goes on and on. There are non-plastic substitutes for many of those things, but they can be horrendously expensive (check the price of wool carpet and upholstery). It is a matter of practicality and affordability - as are many things in our modern world. I absolutely agree we need to be good environmental stewards, but it seems odd to me to focus on singling out such a tiny use of plastic.

One other thought - if you feel strongly about the use of plastic cups in your ward, talk with your young men's president about having the teachers set the used cups aside for you so you can take them for recycling. We had one brother in our ward who did that for many years.

Please let us know how your conversation with your stake president goes.

jtjacks wrote:One other thought - if you feel strongly about the use of plastic cups in your ward, talk with your young men's president about having the teachers set the used cups aside for you so you can take them for recycling.

Good idea. I don't see this is a problem of plastics as much as how they're disposed of.

What is wrong with PLASTIC cups someone asks? As Christians, shouldn't we believe we are stewards of this earth that God has given us? Those cups will not breakdown for thousands of years. Call me crazy, but it seems un-Christian or at least very short-sighted, to use them. I feel guilt every Sunday I partake of the sacrament. We drive by landfills every time we travel out of NYC to visit my family in Upstate NY. I personally think it is the Churches responsibility to ban their use and only provide the paper ones. We are stewards of this earth. If we pay more for paper, let that be the small cross we bear to preserve this beautiful earth the Lord has created for us.

bunker.18@osu.edu wrote:What is wrong with PLASTIC cups someone asks? ...

As has been stated in at least two posts very shortly before yours, please talk with your bishop and/or stake president. If paper cups are available for purchase, the local leaders can make the decision for their local units. In order to influence general Church policy, also talk with your bishop or stake president. If you can convince your local leader(s), they can relay the concerns up their ecclesiastical chain of command. If enough local leaders do that, the issue will be brought to the attention of the Brethren.

Am I the only one unable to select paper cups on the lds online store? It doesn't work on android, chrome, Win10, edge, ie, or firefox. No matter what you select, it reverts back to 2000 plastic cups.

I once heard a talk, I thought from a general authority, about the joy of hearing the sacrament cups hit the tray, like it was sort of a testimony of the members. I know this might not be the forum to find that talk, but any help is appreciated.

I also am surprised to see so many other wards that put paper towels in the water trays. I've never seen that until this ward. I hate it! I used to love hearing the "clinks" when people dropped their cups in. And I hate how the cups don't go in and move. People have to stick their finger in and push the cups out of the way to fit more in.

It's a wasteful and annoying practice. If we as Christians can't focus on Christ during the sacrament because of the little noise then things in our lives need to change.

nicholascole wrote:It's a wasteful and annoying practice. If we as Christians can't focus on Christ during the sacrament because of the little noise then things in our lives need to change.

We can do nothing since this is a user-to-user forum. Speak to your bishop if you want to change things.

bunker.18@osu.edu wrote:Those cups will not breakdown for thousands of years.

The order page for the plastic cups says: "They may be recycled after use."