For several years now, I've made an ongoing resolution to use less paper and plastic. I've swapped out paper napkins for cloth, dishcloths and hand towels for paper towels, reusable zipper bags for plastic sandwich bags and, of course, a reusable water bottle for single-use plastics. A deluge of research about microplastics has convinced me that this isn't only good for the environment, but for my health as well.
Not everyone shares my enthusiasm for these changes, though. Additional paper and plastic continue to flow into my home in the form of junk mail and packaging (to name just two). While I don't have solutions to all these problems, I have gotten better at reusing the packaging and repurposing some of these things into useful storage. Here are a few ideas I've been putting into practice.
Candle jars. I've burned candles for years but, until my daughter suggested it, I never once thought about cleaning all the burned wax out of the jar and repurposing it. Now, I consider doing this with every jarred candle I burn. The prettier the jar, the more likely I am to take the time to repurpose it. My favorite use (so far) for a candle-turned-storage jar is using it to hold dishwasher pods under my sink. Since my primary styles are I need to see it and drop and run, it's probably no surprise that "grab and go" is a natural extension. Consequently, removing the steps of opening and closing a container to get the pod is a win in my book.
Can't see yourself dealing with all that melted wax? Fair enough. Jelly jars provide multipurpose storage as well, and the dishwasher can do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to cleaning them out. (It's less messy all around if you remove the labels first). I use a repurposed jelly jar to hold makeup brushes and another one to store binder clips. It probably goes without saying that it's important to consider what was in the jar in the first place when you consider what to put in it in the second place. I'd store food in those jelly jars, but not the candle jar.
Put plastic in its place. My prescription eye drops come in a lidded plastic tub that is, as far as I can tell, non-recyclable. This makes them a very likely candidate for repurposing as I really don't want them going into a landfill. They're great for corralling small odds and ends: buttons, coins, paper clips, etc. In addition, the lids make them stackable and the white plastic makes them easy to label with a permanent marker. I use these to store extra heads for my electric toothbrush, as well as lipstick, and I use a repurposed tub that once held calcium supplements to keep my phone charger tucked away instead of tossed haphazardly across my kitchen counter.
Some of these repurposed items, like the candle jars, are attractive in their own right, and can add a decorative touch. Others, like my repurposed plastic tubs, are less so. If you're tucking a repurposed item behind closed doors, its function matters much more than its looks. If you're leaving it out, however, you might want to consider giving it an upgrade. I love washi tape, and have decorated and/or covered more than one container with it. (Wrapping paper and wallpaper scraps also work). While I certainly wouldn't put these containers on display in a formal dining room, a simple recovering can do the trick for containers that live in more informal spaces.
Recycling ideas...and stuff. If you're thinking this all sounds a bit familiar, you're right. Many of us have parents or grandparents who used margarine tubs for leftovers, jars for screws and nails, and coffee cans to store all manner of small (and medium-sized) items. Then, it became as easy to recycle as to re-use, and many of us fell out of the habit of repurposing, due as much to space limitations as convenience. Now, as we consider (once again) the importance of protecting our planet, even as we drown in the packaging pile-up that door-to-door delivery creates, it seems like a good time to look at all that packaging from a different angle, considering its potential for re-use. Moving forward, the key word is "pause."
Pause before tossing that container into the trash. Consider its size, attractiveness, and potential for re-use, as well as the amount of space you have available to store it (if you don't have an immediate use for it). Then, keep or toss as you see fit.
Pause before buying that container that promises to fix all your organizing woes. Consider why it appeals to you and check to see if you already have something that has similar attributes. Then, give that a try first.
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| This is definitely not how I usually organize my kitchen cabinets, but it works. |
Clearly, we can't keep every container, or even every pretty container that crosses our path, or our attempts at reducing clutter quickly become a magnet that attracts it. What we can do, though, is keep our styles in mind as we consider disposing of things that might propose solutions to organizing dilemmas. Who knows? You might even feel a twinge of pride every time you find a new use for an old container.
I know I do.
