How can I reuse or recycle baby milk measuring scoops/spoons?
We’ve had an email from Jenni:
I have loads of little plastic SMA baby milk spoons from when my first child was a baby. I have now started making up bottles for my second child and realise the house will be full by the time we move on to cows milk. I can’t bring myself to throw them out. Any ideas?
I’m not exactly an expert with any baby related but I think Jenni means the little measuring scoop things that come inside formula tubs. Like IKEA allen keys, it’s a shame you get a new one with every repeat purchase when one or two is all you’ll ever need (or if you’ve got your own measuring spoon set, you won’t even need that) – but logistically it’s easier for them to include them than having to send them out separately or whatever.
I guess you could keep one around the kitchen for future measuring purposes – but that’s just one and Jenni sounds like she’s got loads. So any other suggestions?
(On a related topic, we covered mixed material baby milk powder containers about a year ago.)
Not really a reuse idea but is she sure they are not made of a recyclable plastic? And, has she contacted the company to see if they have a take-back program?
I’ve contacted a couple of baby milk powder manufacturers about this and to see if they have recycling schemes.
Cow & Gate is the only one to have got back to me so far, saying they don’t have a recycling scheme and “If the scoops have the triangle symbol on them, they are not recyclable and therefore we only suggest the at people use them in the garden or kitchen for measuring spoons or quite often local nursery schools and playgroups like them for sand and water play.”
Will post any further responses here.
I put one inside each container of flour, sugar, salt, etc. so I don’t need to use a clean spoon to refill the sugar bowl or fill the measuring cups when baking. It works great!
We discovered years ago that they are the ideal size for measuring tea into the pot! However that still doesn’t use up many – though they have been shared round the non-child-bearing parts of the family!
I put old medicine measuring spoons in boxes of tea and flour. My Mum still has an old Cow and Gate spoon in her tea caddy and the last baby living in her house was me and I am 40! So quite sustainable!!!
Measure how much it holds and see if it is useful as a “shortcut” measure. For example, if it holds 1 1/2 t. you can use it instead of measuring one tsp. and then 1/2 tsp. when a recipe calls for 1 1/2. Once again, this only uses one or two, but several of those uses and sharing might cut down on your supply.
I saved a bunch of these and let my pre-k class use these to play with at the water table. I also let them use laundry detergent scoops and syringes.
This is a super idea! I love it!
I meant the Karina’s idea.
If you have a lot of them, use them at a party for holding bite-size hors-d’euvres (sp?) Seems like all parties that are “in” are serving them straight in the spoons…
Put a tiny bit of shredded lettuce or the like to “shallow up” the cup of the scoop…you don’t want your guests stretching their tongues to get at the last morsel on the bottom…lol
One example could be a bit of lettuce, shrimp and a dollop of coctail sauce.
Or maybe a square of cheese with a bit of walnut and little niceties like that.