What do Protestants who deny transubstantiation do with the remainders of wine and bread after the Eucharist?

At my church (an Anglican Church in Sydney, Australia), the elements are considered symbols, however are treated with respect.

If there is any left over bread or juice/wine, it is consumed. One of our ministers (who also leads the band) will normally just consume the rest of the drink and eat the bread.

It is my impression that we would consider it disrespectful to just chuck it in the bin simply because it does have a symbolic importance and has been used to in what is a sacred meal to remember Jesus' atoning death.

A good friend of mine and her husband attend a non-denominational Bible Church. I go to services with them (Mass on Saturday though, I'm Catholic). Their church has "The Lord's Table" once a month.

The first time I attended when they had The Lord's Table my friend said "Oh I have to go downstairs ( to their social hall) to get the communion." Of course the Catholic in me wanted to ask, "You keep it in the KITCHEN??" I don't mean that as an insult. It was a very spiritual service and I felt privileged to take part. But they just had no special feelings towards the crackers and grape juice once the service was over unlike the way we regard the Bread and Wine. Once it is consecrated it must be consumed.

Since they see it as only a symbol they just store the leftover crackers for next time. My friend's husband put the communion trays away. I was so surprised to see him toss all the little cups we had used into the trash can! And as we were leaving he put the bottle of grape juice in his coat pocket to take home. He was saving it for next time.

There are different views with respect to various Protestant churches. It depends on whether they believe in the real presence of Christ in the sacrament.

Lutherans, for example, believe that Christ is present with his body and blood in an illocal consubstantial like manner under the forms of the bread and wine.

Here is one view on the Sacramental Union and the Handling of the Elements from a Lutheran pastor (emphasis added):

How then should we handle the elements used in the Lord’s Supper? With supreme reverence and care! For we know that the true presence of our Lord Jesus Christ is present! Here is a story that helps to shed some light on this topic. In 1542 at St. Mary’s Church in Wittenberg, Martin Luther and Johannes Bugenhagen were celebrating the Lord’s Supper with the parish. A woman communicant accidentally bumped against the chalice as she was kneeling down so that some of its contents spilled upon her clothing. Luther and Bugenhagen assisted in wiping off the woman’s jacket. After the celebration Luther had the affected portion of the lining of the jacket cut out and burned, along with the wood that he had shaved from the part of the choir stall upon which the contents of the chalice had likewise been splashed. In 1530, Luther had a host which had been placed into the mouth of a dying parishioner burned because the individual died before he could swallow.

Some Lutheran churches have an extra drain in the kitchen (sacristy) sink for disposal of extra, unused communion wine. This extra drain dumps directly to the soil underneath. The idea is that it is more respectful to dump on soil than to mix with sewage.

Page 13 of this FAQ from the LC-MS Lutherans explains their policy on disposal of the communion elements, including "returning to earth".

"Protestantism" is extremely diverse, and there is pretty much no single way that Protestants do anything. This is especially true of the Eucharist.

Some Protestants do believe that the transformation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus is real. Others believe in treating the communion elements with special reverence even if the transformation is symbolic or spiritual. The Anglican church, for example, also expects that leftover elements are consumed after the service - usually by the Priest.

For those that don't follow this practice, the elements can be disposed of in any way that is convenient. They can be eaten, thrown out, or kept for next week. Many Protestants also don't use actual wine for the communion, but grape juice instead.

As a United Methodist Clergy, I have two habits:

1. I invite the children and youth to join me around the table to consume the elements (bread and juice) following worship.
2. I offer this prayer for the remaining elements:

Thank you God for the gift of these elements which have served to remind us of your Son's sacrifice and great capacity to love us. As these elements have come from the earth, we now return them to the earth with thanksgiving. Amen.

Episcopalians: The ushers count the congregation and count the wafers to match. If they miscounted the Priest in charge reserves the wafers in a "tabernacle" on the altar. They drink all of the wine/water. If a wafer is dropped it is retrieved quickly and consumed by the Priest. Whether or not individuals believe the wafer is the actual body of Christ is between him and God. Episcopalians are not required to believe in the transubstantiation as are Roman Catholics, though many do.