5 Unconventional Uses For Plastic Containers

Plastic containers are a useful thing to have in the kitchen. They come in various shapes and form-factors which makes them a perfect utility for food-related tasks, be it to sneak a sandwich to work or to temporarily store frozen foods. Containers have their moments of convenience and practicality, but what happens to when they can no longer be used as intended?

Can you repurpose plastic containers?

There are two ways to go about this — there’s recycling and then there’s also upcycling. You may be familiar with the latter concept as reusing or repurposing. In either case, upcycling and approaching the plastic container with a DIY attitude is what we’ll be doing in this article. Plastic containers with lids are an asset, even if their food-related service is coming to an end..

If you’re currently in the process of making your kitchen plastic-free and you’re in need of some basic suggestions on how to repurpose plastic containers, you’d be happy to know that there are countless reasons to keep those containers in your household and give them a second chance.

Gardening

Gardening is a great therapeutic hobby, yet it requires tons of patience and clever planning. Growing flowers or crops outside the house may not be a sensible solution for those living in locales with harsh winters. That is, unless they have a glasshouse to keep said flowers and crops away from the elements, and if you’re like me, you’re probably going to keep your plants right at your home.

Anyhoo, to repurpose old plastic containers into planters is a terrific idea. Seedlings, small-ish herbs which are used for spices, tomatoes and even avocados are a prime example of things that can be grown inside them. They will be lightweight and compact, so whenever you need to replant them or move them out of the way, you’ll have an easy time doing so.

Drawers and organizers

Every home has a limited amount of space, so using it with a little bit of hindsight may be what separates your home from a hoarder’s. Containers, especially big ones, declutter space like no other thing. Large containers make a great case for keeping them around for a while longer and storing the stuff that always lost. Here’s a list of things that will make a sweet pair with containers:

• Underwear and clothing
• Needles, yarn, beads, knitting items
• Files and documents
• Makeup and beauty products
• Shoes
• Medications
• Office items such as pens, markers, staplers and clips
• Fishing inventory
• Garage instruments
• Jewelry

There are even more repurpose ideas for plastic food containers out there, these are just the tip of the iceberg.

Containers are transparent so if you mark them, you’ll never lose a thing from sight. To repurpose plastic containers for storage on wall requires a little bit more effort, but it’s still a worthwhile endeavor.

DIY cages and litter boxes

Cute little rodents such as hamsters and guinea pigs need a place to live, and if buying a fully-fledged cage does not fit in your budget, upcycling a medium-to-large plastic container ought to do trick. Cheap and durable, yet scalable.

PSA: Make sure the plastic used in making is high-quality and doesn’t give out any foul stenches. The DIY cage needs to be properly ventilated with holes being drilled on the sides for air.

And if you already have a medium-sized pet like a cat or a dog, consider the possibility of a litter box being made. Mister Puss will thank you for a new box and you’ll have saved a few dollars on a branded litter box. It’s a win-win.

Other plastic household instruments

Continuing the point from the previous consideration, plastic containers can be repurposed to make way for other convenient or more desirable tools. Dustpans, shoves, garden scoopers, bird feeders, bowls, trash cans, piggy banks, basic sprinklers, finger guards, and even bags. The only limiting factors are going to be the time and possibly creativity.

For example, there are masters of the DIY craft who can even make a plastic kitchen knife using convoluted methods, but that kind of ingenuity will never be required to come up with basics for the house.

Decorations

Previous usage scenarios may have been inventive, but they were based around practicality. It’s time to move to something more creative. It may just be time to unleash your inner Picasso and take part in your own arts and crafts project.

One valid complaint that usually gets thrown around is that plastic containers don’t really fit in with the decor of a bedroom or a living room. Or any other room other than the garage, for that matter. They CAN come off cheap and tasteless, but that can be amended.

Large plastic containers will look much better once they get acquainted with a can of acrylic paint or a bunch of pinstripes along with gift wraps. As with any creative project, the possibilities are limitless here.

The container will certainly lose its main convenience – transparency, but that does not necessarily mean a bad thing as long as it gets a chance to slot right in with your furniture.

As a bonus, successful art projects can be later reused for those previously mentioned cases.

I hope these ideas sparked your creative genius and prompted it to move in the right direction. Wishing you luck in all your upcycling projects.