How can I reuse or recycle plastic powdered drinks jars?

plastic screwtop jarBlooming heck, it’s chilly. I’m knitting as fast as I can at the moment to keep us decked out in snuggy socks, hats and scarves – and hoping the needle-on-needle friction will create a bit of warmth too.

(I know in the UK we don’t get really cold winters like in Central/Eastern Europe or in parts of the US/Canada – by those standards, it’s tropical here right now – but because of that, we’re not prepared for it. Two hundred schools were closed in West and North Yorkshire yesterday but we only had 2 inches of snow on the ground. Also: the worst bit about working from home: you can’t use the “there are no buses running” excuse for a day off. Bah.)

Anyway, despite the new woollies and the fact I’ve got a blanket, two cats and laptop on top of me while I write this, I’m still chilly so have been gulping down more than my fair share of hot drinks. John and I have a leaning tower of teabags in the kitchen at the moment (it’s too cold to go to the compost bin after every cup) and our collection of hot chocolate tubs is growing daily.

We’ve got a few of the plastic screw-top jars in the cellar – perfect for our ever-growing random fixings collection, or random allen keys and packets of veg seeds. In the kitchen, they’re too big for spices really but perfect for pulses or dried beans (most of the jars we use are semi-transparent once you remove the label so you can just about make out what’s what and how much is in there).

But what else can we use them for?

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7 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle plastic powdered drinks jars?”


  1. Nicole says:

    I have one that I’m saving up old prescription pills so I can take the back to the pharmacy and dispose of them safely.

    Another one holds Q-tips for my desk at work. And the guest bathroom at home has two – one for cotton balls and the other for Q-tips.

  2. mum says:

    I have 2 in use at the moment.One for copper and one for sliver loose coins.
    For use toward our holiday fund.

  3. thestoob says:

    I’ve used old prescription bottles and old plastic spice containers and filled them with a few small rocks. They make great “noise” makers at parades or sporting events or whatever. But you really only need a few of them. You could also fill some of them with coffee beans or dried lentil beans and they make great rhythm toys for kids (like those little egg-shaped things people shake in concerts).

  4. Ash says:

    I use the old plastic jars to store treats for my dog. I use a larger plastic bin that I recycled to store my dog’s regular food.

  5. Riotflower says:

    We use them in our cupboards to store the smaller purchases of dried foods- beans or grains that come in bags.

    The dark ones are the best for use in the refrigerator when storing flours and grains which keep better cold. It keeps the light out.

  6. Morgan says:

    Hello Recycle More And The Bandages Could Be Used For Cloths And Rags os Somethink

  7. Susie says:

    You could use some of the hot chocolate tubs (empties) to make your own hot chocolate blend out of cocoa and sugar and whatever else you like in your cocoa :)



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