Don't Throw Out These Empty Food Containers

When we've finished our condiments, spices, herbs, jams, and butters, most of us take the empty packaging straight to the trash. This is a big environmental problem. A leading cause of pollution, landfills consistently emit harmful gases like carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere.

It's important to keep as much trash out of the landfill as we can. And often, this involves getting creative. , for example, can become cupcake liners and frozen food separators.

Old food containers can also find a new life. While many food products are wrapped in flimsy single-use plastic, which is hard to reuse, plenty come in more durable and long-lasting containers. Think glass jars, soup tins, Parmesan shakers, and butter tubs, for example.

Below, you'll find plenty of inspiration for different ways you can rescue old food containers, keeping them out of the trash (and therefore the landfill) for much longer. From kitchen organizers to flour sprinklers to butter tub herb gardens, there's a handy hack for everyone. Use old jars for dried food storage Decluttering your kitchen has many benefits, but one of the biggest has to be how good it feels to know where everything is.

Organizing your rice from your cereal will also save you time and money, as you'll clearly be able to see when you're running low and when you're not (no more sneaky packets of food hiding at the back of the pantry). You don't have to splash out on expensive new food containers to keep everything organized . Instead, you can make use of the materials you already have in your home.

As soon as you're finished with your jam or mayonnaise, for example, don't throw away the jars. Instead, wash them thoroughly with hot water and soap (or place them in the dishwasher, but make sure to check they're dishwasher safe beforehand), before drying them and filling them up with food. Old glass jars are ideal for shelf-stable foods like pasta, nuts, spices, corn, rice, quinoa, and dried fruits.

Bigger jars also work well for sweet treats, like wrapped candies, cookies, and brownies. Glass jars can also house your leftovers If you've just cooked a big batch of food, more than you can possibly eat in one sitting, don't throw it away. Similar to packaging waste, food waste is a major contributor to landfill pollution.

Once again, when it comes to leftovers, old glass jars are your savior. Make sure they're washed and dried thoroughly, before filling them up with your leftover soup, chili, curry, or even pasta. Glass jars are also ideal for meal prep.

For example, if you've made a sauce and you want to re-use it in different recipes throughout the week. The best jars to keep hold of when you're looking to store leftovers are those with a wide mouth, like those that are used for salsa or pesto, for example, as they are easier to fill and clean. Once they are filled, add a label to each jar noting its contents and the date it was placed in the fridge.

This will make it easier to know what needs eating up sooner and also help to prevent food waste. Old cans can help you organize cooking utensils Glass jars are not the only food containers that can be reused. You can also make good use of old tins, like those used for soup, chopped tomatoes, or beans, for example.

These can be used to store leftovers (like say, if you only use half the can and want to save the rest). The confirms it is safe to do so. However, the department also notes that the quality of the food will be better if moved to a plastic or glass container (like an old jar!).

If you have eaten all the contents from a tin, the packaging can still be reused. One of the best ways to use old tins is in cooking utensil organization. Keeping your cooking utensils in old cans will help you to keep your kitchen tidy and organized.

If you feel like getting crafty, you could paint the tins first with bright and colorful designs. Again, make sure they are washed and dried thoroughly first. Save Parmesan jar lids to make a DIY to-go cup If you've got an old Parmesan jar lid, before you throw it into the trash, consider this: It has the perfect design to become a drinks lid.

The large open side is ideal for sipping from, while the side with holes (designed for shaking Parmesan) will fit a straw. Most , which means you can fill up the jar with your favorite drink (perhaps an iced latte or some ice cold water with lemon), screw on the lid, and then voilà, you've got yourself your own to-go cup. Forget Starbucks.

If you're prone to clumsiness, the lids are easily resealable, so they'll reduce the risk of any messy spills, too. It might go without saying, but make sure you wash the old Parmesan lid with hot, soapy water before you start using it as a drink's lid. This is not only hygienic, but it's also essential for taste.

After all, nobody wants their favorite beverage to taste like cheese. Fill old spice containers with flour for easy sprinkling Like Parmesan lids, old spice or herb containers are easy to up-cycle and reuse. Of course, you can refill them with the same spices or herbs again (or even try your hand at making new spice and herb blends), but, if you are a keen baker, the sprinkle top on these containers also makes them a handy vessel for flour.

When you are rolling out dough, sprinkling flour on the counter, table, or chopping board is essential to stop it from sticking. But it is important not to use too much; just a light sprinkle is enough to stop the mixture from getting stuck to the surface, without interfering with the recipe. This is where those old spice containers come in.

They have the perfect lid to allow you to easily sprinkle a light dusting of flour. You can also use the flour sprinkler for dusting the top of homemade bread, for example. Use glass jars to keep vegetables fresh Old glass jars have a lot of potential.

Sure, they are great for leftovers and dried food, but their uses do not stop there. They can also be used to keep vegetables fresh in the fridge for longer. Again, this is important for reducing food waste.

Once a vegetable has spoiled, it usually ends up in the trash. This isn't just a waste of food, but it's also a big waste of money, and it's completely unnecessary if you use this hack, instead. But if your cucumber has lost its crisp, crunchy texture, for example, instead of giving up on it, you can slice it up and place it in a clean glass jar with some water.

Pop the jar in the fridge without the lid, and soon, your cucumber will be restored to its crunchy glory. This hack does not just work for cucumbers. It is also ideal for keeping carrots and celery fresh, too.

You can also store chopped broccoli in an old jar, but do not fill it with water. Instead, place the broccoli inside and screw on the lid to keep it air-tight. This is because extra moisture does not agree with broccoli, and may lead it to spoil much quicker.

Take old containers to a zero-waste store to refill Zero-waste stores are becoming more popular in the U.S. This isn't surprising, as, according to one , around half of Americans believe it is their responsibility to reduce plastic waste.

The concept of a zero-waste store is simple: Instead of shelves lined with plastic packaging, zero-waste stores offer their produce loose or in glass containers. Customers will then choose what they need, and instead of grabbing it from a packet like they would in a standard grocery store, they will refill their own containers (like glass jars and old tubs). This helps to minimize excessive packaging waste.

If you have got a zero-waste store near you, save up your old containers — everything from glass jars to boxes to plastic tub to coffee jars to spice containers — and head down for a refill next time you're running low on kitchen supplies. Zero-waste stores often offer many different products, including pantry staples like pasta, rice, nuts, tea, beans, and pulses. You can also often fill up your old jars with liquids, too, including dairy-free milk and sauces.

Use old Mason jars as fruit containers Yet another use for old jars: fruit containers. Portioning out fruits, like grapes, for example, into clean jars and placing them in the fridge not only helps to keep them fresh, but it may also make you more likely to eat them — as they are very easy to grab and go. They are also easy to reseal and transport (which reduces the chance of squashed grapes in, say, the bottom of your work bag).

As well as grapes, berries, like strawberries and blueberries, for example, are also ideal for storing in glass jars and popping in the fridge. To keep them fresher for longer, place a piece of paper towel in with the fruit. This will help to absorb any excess moisture in the jar, and stop them from spoiling.

You should also sort through the fruit to remove any that are starting to go moldy, as this can cause the others to spoil quickly. Again, this will make it more likely that you will eat the fruit when it's fresh and help to reduce food waste at the same time. Turn old chocolate boxes into charcuterie trays Charcuterie boards are always a fun way to present food.

You can opt for traditional meats and cheeses (plant-based meats and dairy-free cheeses also work), or you could try a , with cheese, salsa, and guacamole, for example. Alternatively, you could go for a , incorporating sweet treats like candy and cakes into the mix. Of course, you can choose a wooden board to present your food.

But an old chocolate box, with grooves and dips already in the plastic tray, is another great way to organize your charcuterie. This works better with dry foods, like fruits, cheeses, and candies, rather than sauces or melted cheese. A chocolate box charcuterie tray is a fun gift idea, a movie night snack, or a good way to impress your loved ones at your next gathering.

If you have got a heart-shaped chocolate box, it will also help set the scene for a romantic Valentine's day treat or a cozy date night at home. Use old spice jars for gut shots Gut health is a big talking point on social media right now. There is a lot of advice out there, but research does suggest that there are certain ingredients, in particular, that can benefit the gut (which is basically another word for the gastrointestinal system).

These research-backed ingredients include turmeric, ginger, apple cider vinegar, berries, and lemon juice. You can combine several of these ingredients together to make your own "gut health shot" using, you guessed it, old jars. There are plenty of gut shot products on store shelves (the gut health industry is massive, valued at more than $51 billion in 2023, per ), but these are often contained in plastic bottles.

Making your own recipes from scratch using old jars is far more eco-friendly — if not recycled, plastic bottles are likely to end up polluting not just landfills, but also the rivers and the oceans, too. Old spice and herb jars are a particularly good size for these shots, as they are only supposed to be a small amount of liquid. Again, simply rinse them out, wash them thoroughly, dry them off, and they are ready for filling with your own DIY gut health recipe.

Make a cucumber salad in a glass jar In the summer of 2024, TikTok influencer Logan Moffitt rose to fame for making videos about . This led to his nickname "Cucumber Guy" and a huge following, which currently stands at 7 million followers just on TikTok alone. Moffitt makes most of his salads in plastic deli containers.

They usually start with thinly-sliced cucumber (sliced on a mandoline), before other ingredients are loaded on top. This can be anything from kimchi to imitation crab, and there's usually always in the mix, too, which adds some savory umami to the dish. Moffitt places the lid on the container, shakes it all up, and then digs in.

But while Moffitt's go-to containers are usually made of plastic, his signature salad recipes (and others like them) can also be made in old glass jars, too. The recipe works in the same way: Grab a clean jar, add your ingredients, secure the lid, shake, and tuck in. You can enjoy these salads any time of day, but they are particularly suited for quick, easy work lunches that will not spill in your bag thanks to the tight jar lid.

Use butter tubs to create a kitchen herb garden Herbs are an incredibly versatile ingredient. They can add a fresh taste to drinks, like in and , for example, and they also bring depth of flavor to many different recipes, from sauces to pasta dishes, like . Herbs are also nutritious, as they are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.

But while you can, of course, grab fresh herbs from the grocery store or the farmer's market, it is also possible to grow your own from home. If you do not have a planter to hand, don't worry. Instead, one option is to use an old plastic butter tub.

Simply wash out the tub with hot soapy water, making sure there are no dregs of butter left in it, before drying it off. Next, you will need to make some small holes in the bottom of the tub, which is essential for drainage (this will stop your herbs from getting too wet when you water them, which may cause them to wilt or rot). After that, simply fill the tub with potting soil, plant your herbs, and place them on a kitchen windowsill.

Try to find a sunny spot, as many herbs, like basil, rosemary, and oregano, for example, need plenty of sunlight to thrive. If your kitchen is shady, consider opting for herbs that do not need as much sun, like cilantro, dill, and parsley. Reuse glass jars for pickling If you love pickled vegetables, consider using those old glass jars to start .

Simply choose the vegetable you would like to pickle (some popular options include cucumbers, beets, carrots, onions, and peppers) and pop it sliced in the jar. Next, fill the jar with your other ingredients, like salt, sugar, and any spices and herbs you fancy, and then add the vinegar. White vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and rice vinegar will all work, but, whatever type you choose, it will usually need to be heated and cooled first.

After that, your jar is ready to be sealed and refrigerated. Leave the jar in the fridge (overnight at the least — you also can leave it for several days), before you tuck into your tangy, vinegary, home-pickled vegetables. After you have finished eating them all, you can clean out the glass jar and start the whole process again.

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