How do you reuse your old food containers?
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
United States
June 10, 2008 12:14pm CST
Recently, I rediscovered the joys of recycling food containers into usable storage containers. Right now, I have four food containers that are also serving as storage units for various food products.
My huge sour cream container is holding yesterday's Chinese rice dish. A giant plastic peanut butter jar is holding some taco meat mix from two days ago. And, the mashed potato bucket (from Country Crock) is being used to store my craft supplies and buttons in the cabinet.
Next empty mashed potato or margerine container will be used to store extra icecream. I don't like storing it in the cardboard box.
These types of containers don't work well in the microwave. But, they're really nifty for storing extra servings of food or preparing lunch for the upcoming week. And, they serve as impromptu lunch containers, for times when you misplace your Tupperware! How do you reuse your food containers? How many food containers do you currently have in your home?
3 people like this
11 responses
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
10 Jun 08
Our school's art teacher has asked us to drop those containers off with her as they need them for various projects or just for storing supplies. Better than dropping them in the garbage;)
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28954)
• Canada
10 Jun 08
In our family, if the contaniors are plastic or foil (pie plates etc.) we wash them with the rest of the dishes, and re-use them. Lidded containers used for margarinet, sour cream, etc. Can be ued for anything. Non-lidded containers like pie-tins, we'll use for other pies and things of tat size. TV-dinner-type containers, we'll use to reeze leftover in, wrapped in plastic wrap, foil, or omething similar. We also use conainers of all three varieties for pet food, when we travel with our pets.
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
10 Jun 08
I like the tv dinner tray idea. I make lots of homemade dishes and could use the trays for spouse's work lunches/dinners.
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28954)
• Canada
10 Jun 08
That's a good idea, especially if spouse has a microwae at work.
When my grandfather was sick my sister made many dinners in such trays, and in tiny pie places (single serving dinners) and froze them for him to heat up.
@makingpots (11915)
• United States
11 Jun 08
I am ashamed to admit this because I like to be environmentally friendly and recycle as much as possible, but I don't like reusing food containers in my kitchen. I think they are sloppy to store in my cabinets and like you mentioned, they don't work well in the microwave.
I do use them in other areas as much as possible. I have taped the lid shut on a butter container, let my son paint it and he uses it as a drum. We have filled other containers with pebbles, sealed them shut and use them as shakers. And I definitely use them to store craft supplies, etc. I am funny about liking things to look pretty so I always do something to alter their appearance when they are going to be used elsewhere in my house.
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
13 Jun 08
I love that drum idea. My daughter would love to do something like that. She loves arts and crafts.
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
16 Aug 08
I reuse the side salad containers from Hardees' all the time. They are a nice sturdy material and you can microwave them. They are just about the perfect size for leftovers. Right now I have 3 of them with different kinds of chocolate in them that I use for dipping buckeyes.
@chrislotz (8136)
• Canada
16 Aug 08
I keep my containers after I have used the stuff inside and use them for other things. I have some Slim Fast shake containers that I use for other things. One I use as a canister for my flour and one for my sugar, just to have extra on hand in the cupboard so I don't have to go into the bag when my counter canister is empty and I need a quick bit. I also have an iced tea container, a really tall one, that I use for my sewing things, like pins and buttons and little spools of thread. I use margerine and yogurt containers to freeze left overs in, and for putting some foods in the fridge. I reuse water bottles and fill them every day and take three of them with me to work, for the day. I probably have a lot more things I use but can't think of ay just now, off hand.
@icequeen123 (934)
•
11 Jun 08
My favourite re-usable containers are usually ice cream tubs. They come in the right sizes for storing left overs, things to be kept in the fridge or freezer etc. But I also use one or two for storing other stuff like all my spice jars, helps to keep things together.
I sometimes use plastic containers in connection with the garden. Things like the plastic trays which meat comes on, they might become seed trays, or might collect the water under a plant pot.
My Mum has a wood burning fire as part of the heating system, so all things which can be burned safely tend to go on the fire instead of in the bin.
:)
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
24 Jun 08
I took your advice about the icecream tub.
We got sherbet the other day and it was in a plastic
tub. Made a nice little storage unit. Loved it!
@lingli_78 (12821)
• Australia
12 Jun 08
i also use my old food containers to store my meat and put them in the freezer... i also use the containers as my lunch box if we ran out of containers or put bread for breakfast... they are really handy and useful especially during emergency... take care and have a nice day...
@SViswan (12051)
• India
27 Jun 08
I re-use anything and everything that can be re-used. If it's not used to store left over food items, it holds my art supplies...or is just used as a container for grains. I also take them to school to be used to store stuff or use for activities with the kids.
My son also loves to make magazine holders from cereal boxes.
I organize most of my art supplies and things in the cupboard with the containers. I find it easier to use than to go out and buy the right thing to store them.
I use the film roll cannisters to hold different coloured glitter. I used baby food jars to hold torn paper and sort it by colours and I would use the torn paper for different activities with my kids at home or at school. I also used them to store crayon shavings or pencil shavings.
@sherrir101 (3670)
• Malinta, Ohio
10 Jun 08
I reuse my margerine bowls. I store leftovers in them. They seem to be just the right size dish to put leftovers in for just two people. I have probably 20 small butter bowls to use for leftovers. I do have some Miracle Whip jars that I also use for 'liquidy' things like soup and hummingbird food.
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
29 Jun 08
Hello dear beauty queen. A good idea to reuse the old food containers. My wife and I also use them again for some other purposes. If we don't need that many, we collect and store them and sell them later to the recyclers. Thank you for being so environment-minded a person that we need nowadays.
