Creative Use for Starbucks Cups
@DeborahDiane (40056)
Laguna Woods, California
August 27, 2016 9:25pm CST
We had a block party in our neighborhood this evening, during which I heard the most hilarious story.
One of the women said that she had recently attended a memorial service at the beach for a friend who had died.
During the memorial service, a family member of the deceased took out a large Starbucks cup and began spreading his ashes out on the ocean water!
My neighbor said she was shocked to see a Starbucks cup used to carry cremated remains this way ... but then thought it was pretty smart, because the other people at the beach that day had no idea what was being poured into the water. She said that from the distance it just looked like sand.
The next time I'm walking at the beach and see people carrying their Starbucks cups as they stroll along, I'm going to wonder what's really in them! 
26 people like this
22 responses
@moffittjc (118459)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Aug 16
I was talking with my daughter today about this very subject! She wants to spread my ashes at Disney World when I die. I told her you just can't waltz in to Disney with an urn full of ashes! And she said she would carry them into Disney in a Starbucks cup! lol
8 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
28 Aug 16
was disney world her idea or your idea?
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118459)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Aug 16
@hereandthere A little bit of both. We're huge Disney fanatics, and several years ago I had come across an article about people who tried to spread their loved one's ashes in Disney's Haunted Mansion. When I told her about the article, she got excited and told me we should spread my ashes at Disney since it's our favoritist place on earth!
4 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@moffittjc - That is great! Who knows? Maybe your daughter will be able to pull it off! Lol.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@JudyEv - You aren't strange, but I think I think it would be hard to find a deserted beach in Southern California! Lol.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Aug 16
@DeborahDiane I hadn't thought of that side of it. I could run around saying 'clear the beach please, I want to scatter some ashes'. Probably some would leave at that point. 
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Aug 16
@DeborahDiane Better to leave the beach than run the risk of getting someone's ashes all over you. New take on 'dirty old man'. :)
New take on 'dirty old man'. :)1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@Hatley - I'm glad my story about the ashes in the Starbucks cup made you laugh!
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
29 Aug 16
@DeborahDiane That is an unexpected use for Starbucks cup.No body would have an idea what is going on.
2 people like this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
30 Aug 16
@DeborahDiane Is it okay do that? Here
there are some places where you can scatter the ashes. On other places even thogh there are no known rules against it.some people do not like it.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@silvermist - I'm sure that other people at the beach that day had not idea what was happening! If they did, they might have moved to a different part of the beach for swimming!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
2 Sep 16
@silvermist - I'm not sure if there are rules against it, but I think there might be. Maybe that is why they disguised the ashes by putting them in a Starbucks cup.
1 person likes this
@Rohvannyn (3098)
• United States
28 Aug 16
A creative use for a Starbucks cup - also a good way to avoid prosecution. And it may even have been appropriate, depending on how much he loved coffee.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
28 Aug 16
yeah, because i think you need permits to do that.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@Rohvannyn - Yes, using a Starbucks cup to hold the ashes made it less obvious what was happening. And, as you say, if the person loved Starbucks coffee, it might have been quite appropriate!
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@hereandthere - I agree that it is probable that people need to get a permit before they spread ashes wherever they want... although I hear stories all time about people spreading ashes of loved ones in parks, rivers, lakes, the Grand Canyon, etc. I imagine that few people actually get the required permits.
2 people like this
@paigea (35701)
• Canada
29 Aug 16
There could be anything in them, of course, but this is one I never would have guessed.
My husband always said he was going to collect one bear shaped peanut butter jar for each of his children. His plan is for some of his ashes to be put in each one. He told his kids to keep the jar in the trunk of his car and to use the ashes if they get stuck in the snow. Then he will be there to help them one last time! (I forget which peanut butter used to come in a bear shaped jar)
3 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
2 Sep 16
@paigea - I'm sure his kids would not like the idea of driving around with a container of their Dad's ashes in the car ... just in case they needed him!
@paigea (35701)
• Canada
29 Aug 16
@DeborahDiane I thought it was a good idea, but his daughter was horrified and thought he was being morbid.
2 people like this
@shaggin (71666)
• United States
11 Mar 17
My guess is this spot was not legal for dumping remains is why they did it this way. I never would have thought of this but like you said next time I see people carrying Starbucks around at the beach I will be thinking about what could be in there. After this I will probably think about it anytime I am at the beach and see anyone carrying anything in a cup.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (71666)
• United States
11 Mar 17
@DeborahDiane I'm not a fan of Starbucks coffee but you may have ruined my love of the beach forever now Iol 
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
12 Mar 17
@shaggin - Ha ha! Sorry to ruin the beach for you!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Mar 17
@shaggin - Ha Ha! I hope I didn't ruin Starbucks drink cups for you!
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
29 Aug 16
lol That is really interesting and well I guess it is pretty "green" lol
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@BelleStarr - Yes, it would be hard to get much "greener" than having your ashes spread from a Starbucks cup!
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@jstory - I'm sure you are right that putting the ashes in the Starbucks cup and spreading them in the ocean saved lots of money!
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
28 Aug 16
gigglin'! yepperz, i'd be leery 'f those starbuck's cups 'n also those crystals 'f 'sand' that lay 'neath ones feet.
2 people like this
my apologies! jest don't think 'f such...
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@crazyhorseladycx - Ohhh! I didn't think about those crystals of sand I walk barefoot in every week!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@Vivenda - Yes, recycling our remains in Starbucks cups is certainly a new perspective! I wonder if it will catch on with other people! LOL
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@CRK109 - You are absolutely right ... all's well that end's well!
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39264)
• Gouverneur, New York
4 Sep 16
@DeborahDiane that is so funny. I've told my husband many times that I would keep his ashes in a coffee can.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
5 Sep 16
@HazySue - Ha! A coffee can would be an alternative to a Starbucks Cup as a way to store ashes. LOL
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39264)
• Gouverneur, New York
6 Sep 16
@DeborahDiane He loves his coffee, why not?
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
10 Nov 17
@Hannihar - Ha Ha! I guess we never know what other people are carrying around!
1 person likes this
@Letranknight2015 (51532)
• Philippines
28 Aug 16
Lesson here? Don't just throw away starbucks cup, you never know when it comes handy 
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@Letranknight2015 - You are so right! There are probably even more creative ways we could use our old Starbucks cups! I'll have to think of some!
@cahaya1983 (11121)
• Malaysia
28 Aug 16
Funny! That's the last thing I would think a Starbucks cup would be used for!
That's the last thing I would think a Starbucks cup would be used for!1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@cahaya1983 - That is the last use I would expect for a Starbucks cup, too!
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
28 Aug 16
At least they are recycling the cup and the ashes! How amusing. What a very beautiful picture I love it.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@Garymarsh6 - Yes, this is the ultimate in recycling! I'm glad you liked my picture!
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
31 Aug 16
Ashes to ashes, then to the sea in a Starbucks cup. There are far worse ways to go. Is it legal to just dump ashes into the shallows like that I wonder?
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@responsiveme - I am going to pay a lot more attention in the future to people carrying Starbucks cups!
1 person likes this
