More and more people are trying to figure out ways to reduce plastic in their homes, as plastic waste is a huge problem for the environment. It not only is causing harm to animals and ecosystems on land, but plastic waste is also wreaking havoc in the oceans as it is consumed by sea creatures, or they get caught in it and get hurt or killed as a result. It is important to try and reduce the amount of plastic you use each day and, ideally, find a way to go completely plastic-free. However, if you do have plastic products at home and you’re not sure what to do with them, here are some ways you can reuse plastics effectively.
Use Plastics Jars as Storage
If you have peanut butter or chocolate spread or other products in your food cupboard that come in plastic jars, consider reusing these as storage containers. All you need to do is wash them out, take off the label, and put a new one on. You can use them to store items like nuts, dried fruit, crackers, flour, sugar, and so on. They can even be used to store other items outside of your kitchen, such as kids’ crayons or arts and crafts items, buttons, coins, and so on.
Plastic Takeout Containers as Food Storage
These, too, can be used to keep your dried foods organized in your cupboards, but they can also be great for keeping leftovers in the fridge or freezing batches of cooked meals you can eat later in the week or month. You could even make a few small holes in the bottom of these and use them as planters for growing herbs on your kitchen window sill or use them as trays to catch the water for small pots.
Using Plastics Outside
If you have old plastic planters or plastic sheets that have been used for gardening purposes or other outdoor essentials but have seen better days, you can always consider welding these together to create a roof for a sheltered area in your garden or a makeshift shed/greenhouse. However, it’s important to note that you will need to be working with thermoplastics for projects like this, such as polythene, acrylic, polycarbonate, polyamide, and polystyrene. You’ll also need the right tools for plastic welding to do this properly and safely.
Use Plastic Bottles Again
If you’re going to purchase water or other drinks in plastic bottles, consider reusing them to keep drinks cool in your fridge or even for watering your houseplants or pots in the garden. You can take these water bottles out with you for the day and reuse them. They might not last forever, but reusing them will stop you from purchasing even more plastic bottles in the future.
You can always recycle plastic waste from your home, and you certainly should do so. However, if you want to find other creative ways to reuse plastics and reduce your waste, consider the suggestions above.