They would be just one more thing to call clutter in my home. Just don't ever use them for anything edible.

Maybe crayons and markers for the g'kids?

I use sandwich meat plastic containers, very similar. I put small amounts of paint in one, when painting with a brush, doing cut ins. Then toss when I'm done. I also mix small amounts of wall patch, 90 minute mud, then toss when done.

If you sew? They'd be see-through. Thread, buttons, notions.

If you buy food in bulk? Walnuts, pecans, banana chips....

Check with schools for girl scout troops or such and see if they need any for projects. Put on local FB sites or free cycle. Someone may be looking for them, you never know,

Use for winter sowing seeds?

I keep my bagged plant foods in airtight boxes in the garage. Also use similar boxes to organize various garden things, like tags, twist ties, birdseed & suet cakes (the lids keep mice and raccoons out).

Drill holes in the bottoms to make planting pots.

Keep a few to use as Nicole suggests for painting, patching etc.

Sue, all good ideas above.

I buy my salad greens at SAMS. They come in big clear plastic containers. I wish, they didn't... but SAMS salad mix doesn't go bad on me, unlike many other salad greens from other stores. Of course, I dig, and get the container with the longest fresh date option.

I just recently started to keep yarn in them. Makes for nice easy see through containers.

Moni

and garage storage:

I feel guilty every time I buy something that comes in a throw away plastic container. But, I have found that the containers that Swiffer pads come in make great storage boxes. I use them for storing jewelry related things (beads, buttons, leather cord, chain, wire, etc. Because they are all the same, they stack nicely and the lids keep the dust out of my jewelry supplies.

They are also nice for storing small things like gloves, winter hats, scarves, etc.

Fortunately, I found re-useable, washable pads for my Swiffer, so am no longer buying the throw away Swiffer pads and now I'm not stuck with the plastic bins trying to figure out something to do with them besides toss them in the trash.

I saw a video for using the clear salad boxes as little greenhouses for starting seeds.

The hard plastic ones like the detergent pods come in are excellent for any one that uses needles. I put my diabetes shot needles in one. Then tape shut well and they can be put in the trash. It must be hard plastic so you can't use the type Moni posted.

We don't use tabs for laundry but we do for the dishwasher. I've noticed that the Finish tabs we buy now come in a resealable soft plastic package (like chips but those aren't resealable) instead of a rigid plastic container. That's a plus.

Everyone is different but the "I'll keep this, I'm sure I can use it for something" attitude is what leads to accumulations of stuff that might otherwise have been tossed. I won't use the "C" word but that's what it is for me, as rhizo suggested above,

They are great for storing plastic forks, knives and spoons in, small nuts, bolts, nails, little toys. I have not used them for insulin needles but in the past for Izzi used the detergent jugs for that. Now her syringes come in a container that you put the used syringes in.

Sue

They would go straight into the recycling bin here. This reminds me of previous generations saving margarine containers. Clutter with a capital C!

If you have to ask others for how to reuse something to me it's a clue you don't need to keep it.

SO likes to keep cash in the house. He uses some of the containers above to hide it in. If someone were to break in, they are not likely to look in the Tide pods container or under the kitchen sink in the finish tub for valuables. I made a "safe" for him out of an old ajax can and an empty mod podge jar. Took the bottom off the ajax can,glued the mod podge jar upside down in the bottom of it,and replaced the bottom of the ajax can. He can secure whatever he wants to in the mod podge jar,screw the lid back on,replace the bottom and keep it under the sink. We use a similar homemade thing outside to keep a spare key in in case I lock myself out.(again) Everyone knows about the fake rocks or garden statues or the little magnetic boxes that you stick to the bottom of your car to hide a key. Not sure a would be intruder would look in a can of wd40, certainly not in the hidden compartment in the bottom.

I also reuse plastic tubs or bottles with lids to store bacon or other cooking grease to throw away,since I don't pour it down my sink,and won't pour it directly into the trash.

Our latest pillows came in large cardboard cylinders with metal lids. He insisted we keep those in our closet. I haven't looked, but I would wager he is stashing something in them. Change or loose dollars or something.

To be honest,it gets rather annoying when I am trying to clean and I have to inspect every box or container before I throw it away lest I toss a healthy chunk of money out! I almost did when i threw away what i THOUGHT was an empty box that contained a roll on aspercreme. "Why is this hanging around?" I thought to myself as I chucked it in the trash bag. Luckily,trash day was not for a few days and SO noticed the box was missing and went and retrieved it and the cash inside. He insisted he told me about it. He did not. So now I am more careful.

Amy, what you could do is use a sharpie and draw a large poison sign on the lid, then print "Rat Poison" on it. Should anyone break into your house I highly doubt they'd open it. :) It will also be an easy way to know whats inside.

Saving certain containers is a good idea for those of us who like to organize. I save a handful, usually for drawing supplies for my granddaughter.

But before you put something inside, wash the container with some bleach to get rid of any residue.

I purchased a weed suppressor/fertilizer in a very nice plastic container. Once empty I used it for potting soil. I only need ONE of those...all these uses are great ideas but in the end no one needs as many plastic containers as one might collect if one keeps every container. Are they recyclable? Why aren't the products sold in card board containers? Plastic is taking over.

OH I like the idea of those clear produce/lettuce containers for garage stuff because you can see what is in it! I have always just tossed those and I do not believe that our company accepts those to recycle :(

I have been saving the Sam's Club cashew containers which are just like the canisters you can buy at Walmart. I have used some of them but have run out of ideas. My neighbor got a bunch from me for her crochet projects, she puts the yard inside of them and drilled a hole in the lid. Bad thing is the label is so darn hard to get off! UGH!

I use those containers that lunch meat come in which are ridiculous btw! Such excessive packaging for sure! But I reuse them just as if I had purchased Glad containers or Ziploc containers.

EDIT: I wanted to add that where we live, our recycle company will not take large buckets like cat litter comes in or 5 gallon buckets that paint comes in. I'm very annoyed with this! These should be recycled!

I've recently been hearing that very little of the recyclable plastic actually gets recycled. Something like 25% in the US, 10% worldwide.

Not that we shouldn't try.

Ya know why plastic isn't being recycled? Because it is cheaper right now to make plastic from crude oil rather than recycle already made plastic. Crude oil is really REALLY low priced right now! You watch, when it gets back up to $100 a barrel or more, they will be recycling plastics like they used to. It is all about the money, no one cares (big businesses) about the planet.

I don't get many of the All pod detergent containers as one lasts me a year but I have ideas on what to use them for. I think they will be good to store my canning lids and rings in out in my garage. The ones I get are big ones. I do not save butter or cool whip containers. The only jars I save are ones that are actual canning jars that sometimes jelly comes in. If I thought a jar was pretty, I would save it. There is no recycling out here in the country.

Sue

Hi to all. This may be a little off topic but I wanted to ask for opinions on what to name my new business. I had a birthday party for my granddaughter last summer and I wanted to have a train ride but they were too expensive to rent. So I saw an idea on another website and decided to duplicate what I saw. I made a train ride using unwanted/free plastic barrels that very much like the train in the picture. The clown that I hired to provide the entertainment encouraged me to start a train ride rental business. To make a long story short my bottom line question is do you think it's okay to name the business the Gravy Train because it's making money with little effort. I don't won't to run the risk of giving anyone the wrong impression. I know this may not be the best place to post this question but I equate it to Trash to Treasure because I am using old barrels that are given away by one of our local oil companies which allows me to build a treasure (money). Thanks in advance. Pam

Put in recycling bin. I am trying to do away with as much plastic in my house as I can. I still have shampoo and conditioner in bottles but recently bought solid ones from Amazon. They work just fine so when my bottled shampoo is gone I will just buy these. I'll probably buy a year or two worth so as not to waste so much shipping junk since Amazon insists on using a box 10 times bigger than necessary.

I save the large clear produce containers for a pet rescue and an animal rehabber where they are put to many good uses.

My son and wife come eat with me on Friday evenings so I use them to send left-overs home with them....nothing to have to return to me so they can just recycle them.

We've been told that recycling requires that different types of plastic can't be reprocessed together, that No 1 must be processed only with No 1 and No 2 with No 2.

Which is a problem with many small water bottles locally, as bottle is no. 1 and cap no. 2.

Any plastic products lacking a number is junk, we're told.

And at least one local recycler won't accept plastic caps smaller than 3 in. diameter!

CBC TV (try cbc.ca/marketplace or cbc.ca/fifthestate) had a program recently showing how much Canadian used material has been sent to various east Asia countries supposedly for recycling, but is actually junk. The Philippines recently demanded that Canada repatriate something like a dozen containers of such garbage; but shipper had gone broke, so gov't. was stuck with the tab.

Some agency near Vancouver burned most of it; were they generating power? heating several buildings? - sorry, I forget.

Please recycle ... and promote ways to reuse most of our refuse ... says this guy who lives within a couple of miles of Canada's largest city's recently acquired "landfill" (double 4-letter word - meaning about like single 4-letter word "dump") at a cost of more than 2 or 3 hundred million!

Neighbours speak of 'smell" ... but this old fart doesn't smell too "well"? ... "good"? Sometimes one can be (slightly?) thankful for a usually somewhat regretted reduced capability??

ole joyful

If you buy bird seed the large plastic containers are a good container for it, bird seed draws insects big-time. So does chicken feed. When we had chickens we used those kind of containers.

I had some stew left over the other night, and began putting it into a cleaned yogurt tub ... then stopped myself and put it into a bowl to cool first. I was worried that the hot stew might leach some unwanted chemicals from the plastic tub.

But then ... perhaps I should worry that the cold stew might do the same.

Not many glass bowls or bottles used for grocery-type items any more available for food storage later.

ole joyful

Yes, NEVER for food, humans or pets, PLEASE

I wonder if we could each make a dent in the overuse of plastic if we took all the 'empties' back to the store where we bought the products. Let *them* dispose of them properly. Let *them* lobby manufacturers to stop using plastic. Can you imagine the gigantic mounds of plastic? (At the least, we can try not to buy overpackaged goods or those encased in plastic. The earth is being smothered in it!)

Better yet - take 'em back to the manufacturers and skip the middleman...

So, taking them back means what?...mailing them? And if we took them back to grocery stores, what would they do with them?....just throw them out?

We used to take ”empties” back to the store. Maybe there is something to this? quit kicking the problem down the road. Kick it back to the origiin.

Oh, the design and raw materials that go into packaging!!!!! Some of these packaging materials/containers are amazing!

What a waste, though, for all of that engineering and precious resources to go into something that is to be used for once for some dubious purpose and cast into the mountain of waste.

We must do better than that!

I read somewhere that most of what we purchase ends up in the waste stream within six months. True, or not true, it is certainly believable.

All of this head scratching to find ways to use these excess packaging materials is a good example of a solution that is looking for a problem. Normally, you have a problem/need and you look for something to fill that need. But, what I see more and more often is that there is no need, but plenty of solutions to that non need. So, we create needs by saving and storing our excess stuff in repurposed containers, thus leading us to save and store excess stuff that is probably not worth it.

How many small items does one have to store and how many old containers?

Some of this packaging is wonderous to behold, indeed!

I love, love, love the packaging that Apple uses. That is the best cardboard, ever!

I have a passion for cardboard as a building material and usually have a small stash of unusual and interesting cardboard to play with. When grandson was little I made all manner of things for him from cardboard. I love cardboard as a building medium.

We are awash in way too much seriously good stuff.

The best we can do is to reduce our consumption, and even more importantly, we need to adjust our expectations of what we think we deserve to have and to have it for as cheap as possible. Consumption of cheap consumer items is not good for the health of our only home, Earth.

The store that you bought the item from is not where the responsibility rests. The major responsibility rests with the manufacturer and us, the consumer. I agree that those who produce the product should bear responsibilty for it.

But, quit buying all manner of stuff that leaves you with empty containers and quit buying all of that stuff that gets stored in these containers.. There is good life without the major portion of all that.

Our expectations are way beyond reasonable. We really do think that we are all that special!

We cant buy our way out of this extraordinary and unprecented mess by trying to find stuff to store in our endless supply of used containers. We are only fooling ourselves, not Mother Nature or the polar bears.

bpath, those empties were, basically, soda bottles and milk bottles. There never was a time when we returned our garbage to be washed and resused. What is causing the problem that we are facing right now is not reusable containers such as were the old Coke bottles. This is one time use packaging. There is no commonality between that old Coke bottle of yesteryear and the plastic containers of 2021.

ole joyful, we cant keep building these garbage mountains. Recycling is not the answer that we all wanted it to be.

There is just no getting around the objective fact that we are creating mountains, literally, of garbage. Nature took eons to create a mountain, now we can do it within a decade. It use to take eons of tetonic plate movement of the earth and the movement of frozen land masses to create a mountain. Now, all it takes are disposable diapers, take out containers and some new fashion trend or an advance in media technology that has us all buying new electrical equipement.

I have seen that some of these mountains get leveled off and made in to parks.

Just think that it is all of those old poopy diapers and hot dogs down there, and plastic containers.

Horrors! just horrors!

I suggested returning plastic to the store where you bought the goods because it's do-able. No one is going to make the effort to mail it back to a manufacturer. A mound of returned plastic bottles and packaging in front of every grocery store in every town would have an impact. Is it unfair to the grocers? Yes, but they *might* stop using some products that don't recycle -- like foam 'plates' under meat products. Maybe they'd ask for help from manufacturers to eliminate some waste. Big chains have clout that you and I don't have.

Wednesday Morning "I have seen that some of these mountains get leveled off and made in to parks."

That definitely happened here. A landfill site was filled in (in the 70's) and homes and a large park was built. Lots of methane gases etc. leached out. Over the years it's naturalized, the gases were burned off and it's a very successful, popular park.

It's nickname still stands as Mount Trashmore.

One of the reasons that I became interested in trash reduction and recycling was seeing a lovely little valley and farm near my home taken over and turned into a new landfill site.

I am regularly befuddled by so many neighbors who won't even take advantage of our free curbside recycling - much less taking the time to drop off the electronics at the free city e-recycling or take reusable materials to a thrift store. (and yes I realize that such options aren't available everywhere, but they are available in spades here).

good ideas

I agree, don't keep so many of them that they are overwhelming you. I had trouble with the plastic ice cream buckets, but keep them to a certain number now- no more than 5 extras at a time.

I used some containers similar to the detergent containers to keep all the extra house stuff together. Things like extra door knobs and latches, and extra hardware for the vertical blinds throughout the house--- basically things that belong to the house. That way, I can always find them, and if we ever move, I can just leave the containers behind for the new owners.