Back when our growing kids were constantly threatening to eat us out of house and home, I focused most of my efforts on the “reuse” aspect of “reduce, reuse, and recycle” when it came to disposable food containers. Lucky for me, that skill has served me well over time!
I’ve discovered all sorts of ways to repurpose different types of containers. As I’ve reflected on the containers I’ve found most useful, I thought, “Why not write a post about them?” So I did!
Below, you’ll find a list of my top 9 containers to repurpose around the house, along with suggestions for ways to use them. (You may also find my tips on removing stickers helpful if you prefer to remove labels from containers before reusing them!)
Look for the video at the end of this post to see step-by-step instructions in action!
9 Versatile Containers You Can Reuse Around the House
1. Parmesan Cheese Shakers
While the container itself is useful enough, it’s the lid on the Parmesan cheese container that earns it a place on this list! An old Parmesan cheese shaker is perfect for storing anything you might want to distribute by shaking or sprinkling, such as cornstarch, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, baking soda, etc.
The other side of the lid usually has a larger opening that can also come in handy. You can use it to dispense kids’ snacks—or your own snacks, for that matter. (Did you know that the lid from a Parmesan cheese shaker can fit onto a regular mouth mason jar? It’s true!)
2. Baby Wipes Boxes
Baby wipes boxes are an extremely versatile container to have on hand, and I use one to store my reusable fabric softener sheets. The box keeps them nice and tidy and the lid helps seal in the scent so they don’t need to be refreshed quite as often.
The one drawback I’ve found with these containers is that their labels can be downright impossible to remove. So if the label bothers you, I’d recommend covering it up with some scrapbook paper or washi tape rather than trying to remove it.
3. Large Yogurt Containers
Whether they were originally filled with yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, or something else, plastic tubs are great for repurposing! I use them to freeze a variety of veggies and fruits, but my favorite way to use them is to gift homemade ice cream to friends and family. I usually take the time to remove the ink print from the outside of the container first to make it look a bit nicer.
To remove the ink, just pour some rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover onto a cotton ball and wipe the printed areas. You may need to use a few cotton balls to get all the ink off, but pretty soon you’ll have a clean container! Wash it with soapy water and it’ll be ready to use.
4. Ice Cream Pails
I find it virtually impossible to throw these versatile plastic buckets away! They’re handy for corralling collections of items like seasonal cookie cutters and small toys. You can also fill them with soapy water when tackling cleaning jobs around the house.
But I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention that these buckets have proven highly useful as vomit receptacles. When my kids were much younger and much more vomit-prone, I would bring one along on every car ride and I kept one under my kids’ beds for those unpredictable late-night episodes. These pails saved me a lot of unfortunate cleanup during those years!
5. Gum/Mint Containers
There are so many great uses for gum and mint containers. Gum containers are a bit bigger, so they’re great for storing craft supplies, snacks, or even loose change.
Smaller mint containers are handy for corralling paper clips, emergency sewing supplies, or notoriously easy-to-lose hair accessories like bobby pins! The possibilities are practically endless.
6. Tin Cans
No decent list of repurposed containers could exclude the good old tin can! You can use them as pencil holders, small vases for flowers, watering cans for your houseplants, or you can make one of those old-school “telephones” by threading a length of string or yarn through the bottom of two cans.
More Ideas You'll Love
If you intend for your can to be out on a desk or table somewhere, you can upcycle a can by dressing up the outside with paint, fabric, washi tape, or scrapbook paper.
7. Plastic Milk Jugs
Plastic milk jugs always come in handy as a watering can in a pinch, but my favorite way to repurpose them is as a giant ice pack. Just fill a milk jug with water until it is nearly full, but not quite. (The extra space will accommodate the expansion of the water as it freezes.)
Screw the cap on and throw the milk jug in the freezer until it’s frozen solid. The milk jug “ice pack” is great for camping, picnics, and more! I often use one for trips to Costco, since the closest Costco to us is 30 minutes away. So I bring a cooler and my milk jug “ice pack” to keep the cold/frozen foods cold until we get back home.
8. Stackable Tackle Box Jars
I love finding new uses for ordinary things you can find in any grocery store. :-) I found these stackable tackle box jars in the camping and fishing aisle quite by accident, and I just love them! They are great for storing small amounts of things in your purse or car, like ointment, pills, or lotion.
9. Juice Bottles
Empty juice bottles are my container of choice for storing my homemade liquid laundry detergent. They’re the perfect size, and it’s nice to be able to reuse such a big container instead of just throwing it out. You can learn how to make my homemade liquid laundry detergent here.
Click here to see these tips in action!
More Repurposing Tips & Tricks
What’s your favorite way to reuse containers?
NEW! Can you guess the 5-letter word related to today’s post?
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I used your parm cheese container idea! I had one of the smaller containers and I filled it with baking soda and some lemon, tea tree, and lavender EOs and let it sit until I needed it. Sure enough it came in handy when my dog peed on my carpet a few days later, then vomited on a rug. Now I always have scented baking soda ready for cleaning or deodorizing!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I make an effort to keep & clean all types of containers that aren’t easily recycled, especially glass jars. One of my favorite plastic containers is the extra large liquid laundry detergent dispenser that has a spigot. I haven’t reused it yet, but it has too much potential to discard! Any suggestions?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My parents buy liquid laundry detergent and I reuse their containers (spigot included) for my homemade laundry detergent.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Maybe you could fill it with water and keep it outside for rinsing off shoes or dog paws. Or take it camping filled with water for washing hands and dishes :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The quart yogurt container is perfect for dumping coffee grounds from a round or v-shaped coffee filter! Just turn the filter upside down on the container and tap both on the counter! Voila! The grounds are contained with little mess! One quart will hold over a week’s worth of coffee grounds which I then dump into my compost! The plain white container lives on the counter next to the coffee maker and coffee containers.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am impressed by the ingenuity of your readers and the variety of uses they find for plastic containers.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Better to reuse/recycle than to fill precious and expensive landfill space with thrown-away plastics.
[The ChemicalSafetyFacts.org has an article explaining the plastic/recycle symbols and suggesting alternate used of recycle plastics.] But giving plastic containers a second-third-fourth life instead of condemning them to the landfill is great.
Recently I bought a flat of spring plants pre-planted in 8 inch plastic cups with bottom drain holes–one is JUST the height for my kitchen sink so compostables drain into the sink drain instead of the cabinet top and its smaller size makes me empty it BEFORE the drain gnats and fruit flies show up. The other seven I will re-use to make my own transplants from the garden to share.
Members of a knitting group in my church punch a hole in the side of a plastic coffee container and thread the end of a skein of yarn through the hole. The container keeps yarn clean and untangled, instructions can be folded to fit the container and the lid snaps in place to hold everything in place.
-I use big yogurt and cool whip plastic containers in freezer to hold veggie cooking juices and veggie scraps for stock (makes amazingly flavourful stock).
Please log in or create a free account to comment.-I also use 4L ice cream pails to split 10kg bag of flour t0 make more manageable amount. Sugar, rice, oats, anything I buy in huge bags that can benefit from a more manageable sized container.
-Smaller glass jars make great containers for MYO dips & dressings and then easy to lid & store in fridge.
-Spagetti sauce jars get reused to can homemade spagetti sauce. Classico jars work with mason jar lids.
-use plastic juice containers for camping (fill with water & freeze). Will not leak while thawing, can add drink crystals and just shake so less dishes.
All good ideas. Thanks. I didn’t know mason jar lids fit Classico jars. I will definitely be saving mine from now on!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillie, are you from the south? We have been saving and repurposing plastic containers for years and get teased about it. I like to use the round mint containers for vitamins and pills when we go out to eat. Another great keeper is the square tissue box. It will hold at least 20 folded plastic grocery bags. It’s pretty and takes up very little space.
Thank you for your daily tips!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have 2 such tissue boxes on the kitchen counter, one for bags for the garbage, although most grocers now want you to bring your own reusable bags, and one box for the plastic veggie bags that come in handy for used coffee grounds, fridge ‘unknowns’, and even picking up dog poop.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Barb,
I also use the plastic veggie bags as my cooking kitchen garbage bags, for all those potato skins and other skins, that are NOT supposed to go down the disposal, plus the papers that fish or meat come in. Every time I cook, I have a “GB” (Garbage Bag) next to me, wrap it up and walk it to my trash chute (or when I was in my home) to the trash immediately. (NO SMELL). Love your idea as well.
“Cube” tissue boxes are great for holding dryer lint. Can be tossed when full-takes a LONG time to fill it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Crystal Light containers!! Best invention on the planet! These are perfect for motorhomes where space is at a premium. They can be cut down to fit a shorter space (the lid still fits) or you can tape part of another container to one to make it taller. We use them to store small tools, plastic silverware, laundry pods, etc., etc. I use them in my very awkward car console to store keys, pens, and other small items that get lost in that black hole.
Oh! I love that you mentioned parmesan containers! I use one to mix and store my homemade taco mix. Dump all the spices in, close it up, shake, and it’s ready to go! It’s perfect!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I re-use every possible container that I can that comes into my home. Ice Cream pails get used for tons of things. My married kids call them “BOB” meaning Bucket of Barf. They have a bucket handy for any possible situation where a BOB is needed. With 10 grandchildren they get used a lot. The plastic container that hold spindles of blank computer CD’s are handy for an adult version of a BOB. If you leave the CD container intact you can store spools of ribbon out of the dust but still see the contents.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I re-use every clam shell style berry container that comes into my home. I can prepare garden produce into sandwich baggies. Two of them fit nicely in the standard box. They let you see what is in them. And they let you keep the freezer organized. They stack well. No more baggie boulders to deal with! They are also great to help keep the leftover balls of yarn organized in my yarn stash. It helps to keep skeins of sock yarn together until I can get the socks knit. They also make a get wrapping container when I gift them with the yarn info and laundry instructions. These containers are all well used.
When sending cookies to rest stops for the senior center I found clean empty spinach , etc. plastic containers were perfect for packing cookies in and I didn’t worry about getting my containers back.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use most any kind of boxes – cake mixes, cereal boxes, pasta boxes to wrap Christmas presents in for kids and grandkids. They come in all shapes and sizes and everyone gets a laugh and noone has any idea what is in the box
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use the top of plastic containers for the bottom of planters. The best products that have a lip on the container (no leakage) is whipped toppings or coffees that have plastic lids.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Oh yes! I do that too. I also use the larger lids as a “coaster” in the refrigerator. I use old Tupperware lids from the celery keeper I no longer use for stacking pudding cups and jello cups for my husband’s lunch.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use the lids from pringles chips under metal cans, such as comet or metal spray cleaners so they don’t leave a rust ring on the cupboard floors.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Clever!
I reuse the bags from boxes of cereal to store veggies I’ve prepared to freeze, leftover quick bread, biscuits, cookies, cooked meats to refreeze and more.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I do this too, haven’t bought storage/snack bags for awhile. Use all sizes such as bread bags or any other type of bags that are clean when empty, just dump the crumbs.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use the bags from cereal to put between cookies to keep them from sticking together
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use the cereal bags in freezer to store homemade chicken stock or meat as they are not recyclable where I live.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When the weather center reports that a hurricane is coming and the power will likely go out, we fill the bathtub(s) with water in order to flush the toilet. However, you can also “shower” if you take a gallon container and poke holes in the top where the opening is. Fill with water from the tub, put the lid back on and hold the gallon over your head or body ….. sprinkle yourself with water, set the gallon down on its bottom and lather up. Then, rinse yourself off. I did this when the power was out and had to go to an appointment. It worked and I felt better for being clean.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.So my hubby uses the crystal light drinks to watch his sugar intake and those plase tic containers are really reusable! I make homemade chicken stock for my dogs food and when it cools I put it in those containers and freeze them. They are also great for small snacks to take in the car for kids. We use them as a piggy bank to save coins and also I have used them to put cotton bals and qtips as well as jewelry when we go camping or in our RV…. so many uses for these!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My adult children call me a pack rat because I never throw containers away. I keep them all because I see different things I can do with them. Why buy high priced Tupperware when you can buy a vegetable tray and re-purpose it. The same with the Lunchable trays. I use them for snack trays and paint when crafting. Of course, all the glass jars and bottles I use for canning small things, like salsa, or green chilies. The possibilities are endless. (You can reuse they lids from the small jars once or twice). And I do. Then after 2 uses, I use them for mixing all my cleaning products that are Homemade. They make great gifts like bath sales, body butters, and room fresheners. I LOVE RE-PURPOSING.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Vinegar jugs are sturdier than a lot of other plastic containers out there (along with the juice jugs mentioned, but we don’t drink juice). I reuse them for storing Jillee’s homemade windshield washer fluid, glass cleaner, etc. Hurricane preparedness includes filling as many as I can with filtered drinking water. Afterwards I use the leftovers for watering plants, since I’m not a fan of leaving drinking water sitting around in plastic containers.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, An old Girl Scout trick for cleaning little or big hands when camping or at the park, back yard birthday parties, etc…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.1 gallon plastic milk container, 1 golf tee, old panty hose, bar of soap. Take a screw driver and punch a hole about an inch above the bottom of the container. Make it only big enough where the golf tee will plug the hole. Take one leg of the panty hose and stick a bar of soap in the foot of the panty hose. This works best with a used bar of soap so it isn’t so heavy. Tie the other end of the panty hose to the gallon container handle. Fill the milk gallon with water and Wa- La . Line up the kids and pull the golf tee out and wet hands, immediately replug the milk container. Now scrub hands with the bar of soap. Pull the golf tee again to rinse. This is wonderful for picnics in the park, camping, etc…..
I have 2 sisters who were G.S. Leaders back in the 70″ and 80″s.
Jillee your welcome to pass this on to your readers.
We are campers and will definitely use this great idea!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We still do this when camping!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I reuse Koolaid containers (the premixed with sugar kind) for storage/collection, like change, buttons, whatever needs a place to collect. You can also reuse as a koolaid container by mixing sugar and a koolaid packet for those who “cant measure it right” (I live with my 76 y/o father whose excuse for not making things himself is he can never get it right VERY frustrating, and my 21 y/o son who can be lazy at home)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I reuse squeezable mayo bottles for salad dressing, pancake syrup, and hamburger sauce. I also reuse Costco sized nut and Jelly Belly containers for a wide assortment of items from food to toys.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I recently used a round “car cup” gum container for salad dressing container in my office lunch. I was able to tuck it inside my filled salad bowl container, in case it leaked (but it didn’t) and pour the dressing on just before eating so the salad was still crisp. The lid unscrews to easily wash. I liked it so much, I added a second one with croutons the next day!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love those things I use then for so many things…my favorite is to put a dose of meds I need to take with me. The container even doubles as a cup to drink from, as I take those meds.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Back in my sailing days, we used to take gallon bleach bottles, cut the bottoms off then make a u-shaped cut up towards the handle, round off the corners and you have a large, sturdy scoop to bail out your boat. Today I use 1/2 gallon scoops for large loose items like bags of pine shavings, etc. To limit the amount of scouring powder that comes pouring out of the 6 holes on top of the standard cleanser container we used to cover all but 2 holes with masking tape. Now I repurpose a tall glass olive jar by drilling 2 holes in the lid and use that for cleanser, better, a plastic container that you don’t have to worry about dropping. But I like the look of the glass container! We refill the 1/2 gallon ( sorry 56oz!) juice bottles with water and keep them in the car for long trips and a dozen in the basement full for those days when the power is lost due to storms and the well pump is off . . .
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I keep sewing needles in mechanical pencil lead containers.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Very smart!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My best hack for a car sick kiddo is actually an OxyClean bucket – you can fit a gallon ziplock in it & fold the top over the bucket for easy cleanup. We live an hour from groceries, so this solution was PERFECT. You contain the nasty from the sick, put in a new clean on (bucket itself is still perfectly clean), ready to go if they get sick again.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Such a clever idea!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jill…do you have a suggestion for re-use for those liquid Coffemate containers? Right now my large ones are holding water for my plants (3). The smaller ones? Any ideas?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use mine for sugar, flour (to dust my counter top when baking), yeast that comes in bags, etc. I love those containers. I put a strip of clear tape on them to write the contents on.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would use them for pantry staples that you use often – sugar, flour, cornstarch, baking soda etc. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use both sizes for small dry cereal, pasta, dried beans,rice, and pet treats.
I use one as a homemade “sharps” container like they have in hospitals and doctor’s offices. I put broken needles, pins,nails, toothpicks and anything else small and sharp that you could stick yourself on, or someone else, when emptying the trash. I have one in my craft room, the kitchen and the garage.
I also use one to put sparkling decorator’s sugar in. Much easier to sprinkle it on baked goods than to spoon it out of the bag it comes in. I have one with instant tea in it for a quick glass of ice tea.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Those round pill containers that stack are great for filling with spices to take on vacation or camping! I also keep some empty cleaned gallon water or milk containers handy in case of an emergency that can be filled up with clean water at a moment’s notice in case of an emergency.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We are campers and love the idea of the spice tower of spices using the round pill containers we get from the dollar store.
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