Comments on: How can I reuse or recycle … plastic take-out containers?

By: Bertie

Bertie — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:20:15 +0000

Seed trays

By: ck

ck — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:19:27 +0000

In Minnesota (maybe our food safety laws are bit stiffer) they are not supposed to use your off the street container. Makes sense from a safety standpoint, not letting their scoops/etc. touch your possibley contaminated food container.

But, if possible, get it to eat in and simply dump into your container right in front of them. :) Worst case they have to wash but that is better than the cost of the non-recyclable container.

-c

By: idiot

idiot — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:41:34 +0000

Btw whole foods has a bin for plastic 5 now

By: idiot

idiot — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:17:21 +0000

These are all terrible. The op stated there is no room for them so repurposing them stopped making sense 20 containers ago. Donate them for a kid’s art project? Which will… Wait for it… End up in the trash. Bake sale? Give neighbors leftovers? Simply spreading the problem, probably to less enlightened people who will… throw them in the trash. Why isn’t there a place we can just mail them in bulk for recycling?

By: Olia

Olia — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:10:09 +0000

Use as form for making bricks out of cement, small stepping stones.

By: CovertOperations78

CovertOperations78 — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:28:10 +0000

I agree with Revolution! While the restaurants probably won’t take the containers back for reuse for OTHER customers, all you have to do is ask them, and they would probably be glad to fill food in your own container for you. It means savings for them, and waste minimisation for you. In fact, the shops I go to normally charge me a little less when I bring my own takeout containers. Just remember to pop a few containers in your car and cloth shopping bag when you go out, so when you need to purchase food, the containers are already there with you.

By: Ready meal containers

Ready meal containers — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:06:14 +0000

Put some small holes in them and use them to keep siamese fighting fish apart in your main fish tank.

By: Ruti

Ruti — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:39:13 +0000

wow that is seriously random! I’m impressed!

By: dAN

dAN — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:36:17 +0000

These suggestions are useful, but there’s only so many tubs you can reuse.

If we stop buying takeaways that use plastic containers, and let the restaurant know the reason why, then perhaps they’ll revert to the more readily recyclable foil and cardboard.

dAN

By: How can I reuse or recycle orphaned storage tub lids? » How can I recycle this?

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:17:52 +0000

[...] used a couple of flimsy take-away food ones as saucers under plants but have a tendency to over-water causing spillages because they’re [...]

By: carrie

carrie — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:58:21 +0000

each year for christmas i make note cards for my aunt, who uses them throughout the next year (she sends tons of thank-yous, birthday cards, etc), and i package them in these containers. you could also use them to file recipe cards, greeting cards, or to keep pens and markers in for your children.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:31:19 +0000

store things that you don’t know how to recycle yet or things you haven’t had time to recycle yet.

By: Gill

Gill — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 07:30:03 +0000

Pamela

Can you keep us informed please?

By: peter black

peter black — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 17:40:55 +0000

i have been looking for thease what i would use them for is for hatching geckos in my incubator
as they are the right size to right on to keep what gecko perents they belong to realy usefull

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 18:41:26 +0000

I just had a bake sale this weekend to fund my eagle project and one of the moms used hers to put brownies in, we just sold the 10 or whatever brownies as one set

By: Neyeli Garcia

Neyeli Garcia — Wed, 23 May 2007 23:13:16 +0000

I love entertaining my guests and many times they often want to take food home so I use the take out containers instead of my nice dishes.

By: Revolution

Revolution — Thu, 17 May 2007 11:01:32 +0000

If you eat a lot of take-away, ask your local restaurant if you can take in your OWN plastic tubs for them to fill!
Think waste minimisation!

By: Emily N

Emily N — Wed, 09 May 2007 19:32:30 +0000

I use them as fridge organizers. place fruit in the containers. takes up less space than bags or just the fruit itself

By: nia

nia — Fri, 04 May 2007 11:46:13 +0000

i use them for paint.. lids for mixing

By: pamela crowe

pamela crowe — Thu, 03 May 2007 19:17:30 +0000

My council (Leeds City Council) recycles plastics 1, 2 and 4. I noticed recently that North Lincs County Council recycles plastics 1, 2, 3 and 5 and have contacted them to find out how they can do this – if they respond usefully I hope to use the information to petition my council to introduce recycling plastic 5. So much of our plastic waste at home is of this type, it makes me sick that we can’t recycle it, it is after all marked with the recycling logo
as 1, 2 and 4 are.

By: Sack36

Sack36 — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 08:41:33 +0000

I still get the paper boxes in my area, but if yours really look like the example pictured, you can put colorful beads or bits of fabric in it, glue the lid on and hang an array of them on the wall in a kids room as artwork. Can also fill with colored sands for the artwork. Drop the lid and add candles on top of the sands to decorate around a bathroom.

By: Thad

Thad — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 00:46:57 +0000

I second the recommendation to donate them to a school or museum or a place like http://www.scrapexchange.org or http://www.oxorinoco.org

By: FoxHillGardener

FoxHillGardener — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:35:21 +0000

I used a load to line my kitchen drawer that has all the bits and bobs in. Yucan then keep a differnt bit or bobo in each and everything doesn’t slide around when the drawer is opened and closed

By: CheapNLazy

CheapNLazy — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 03:36:19 +0000

I mean “.org”

By: CheapNLazy

CheapNLazy — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 03:26:45 +0000

freecycle.com

By: Melodious

Melodious — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 19:23:18 +0000

in our community we have a childrens museum that takes clean containers and all sorts of things for art projects. If you have such a thing give them a call and find out about their donation policy.

By: cmbycreative

cmbycreative — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 15:40:45 +0000

If you’re doing take-out anyway, take them with you to the restaurant. If you ask them to fill the reusable container, most will. (Especially helps if it’s from the same place).

Here in Nova Scotia, foam containers are still the norm–you’re lucky!

By: Paulalala

Paulalala — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 17:47:49 +0000

Primary schools would probably love them.

By: Cadan ap Tomos

Cadan ap Tomos — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 21:08:59 +0000

And… use them as storage containers for various things.

By: Cadan ap Tomos

Cadan ap Tomos — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 19:31:28 +0000

Use them to keep leftover food in the fridge, that way you will be recycling food and the container. Plus you can use them as lunchboxes!