How can I reuse or recycle big yoghurt pots?

yoghurt potsWe’ve had a message from Roxi on our old yoghurt pots post, saying:

I have been wondering what I can use a big yogurt can for. I can’t seem to find anything that I need storing in a container like that, so does anyone have any ideas?

The phrase “a big yogurt can” confuses me as I’ve never seen yoghurt for sale in cans – I’m presuming she means the bigger plastic tubs (please correct me if I’m wrong) because while we’ve covered those little yoghurt pots and the triangular ones, we’ve not covered the big ones.

The pots I’m thinking of are about 18-20cm (7-8inches) tall and 8cm (3inches) in diameter at the top. There are some other ones that are similar but a bit more squat. Like other yoghurt pots though, they tend to be made of a flexible, not-too-heavyweight plastic and have a plastic lid – or a foil lid with sometimes a plastic lid to go on top of that for resealing.

The ones with the resealable lids are ripe for reusing as storage in the kitchen because they’re resealable – but the plastic isn’t *that* sturdy so it doesn’t feel like a permanent container.

So any specific reuse suggestions for in the kitchen or elsewhere? And what about pots missing that resealable lid?

Related Categories

household, items, kitchen, packaging

Search for other related items



17 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle big yoghurt pots?”


  1. Alice says:

    Plant pots! Make holes in the bottom for drainage – particularly useful for tomato plants, which need to be potted on quite a few times in slightly bigger post each time, so you need lots of different sizes of pot.

    Will last several years, and can also be cut down to make drip-catching saucers to put under things in smaller pots.

  2. anna says:

    I also use them for plants! Use scissors, nails, knifes etc to make a few holes on the bottom and often the lid works as the tray nicely. You can cover or paint the pot and then ready for use!

  3. Marianne says:

    makes good tofu press-need 2

    poke silts on sides of one.

    make soymilk from beans-look up recipe

    add colagulant…blah blah-look up recipe for tofu

    line cut one with cheese cloth, add runny tofu. press another one in on it, put a book on top, next day you have tofu (liquid drains through slits

  4. Amber says:

    I also use them for plants, but more specifically, for propagating cuttings. People often ask me for cuttings but never bother to provide their own pots, so they receive them in a plastic yogurt tub!

  5. Tim says:

    I think of any size plastic tubs, or any reusuable container (pill bottles, for example) like MacGyver thought of duct tape. The uses are limited only by the imagination.

    You just need a place to keep them, with or without lids, until needed.

    One idea for the big tubs: If you use many batteries, and recycling is not always convenient, use a big container to save up enough items to be recycled 3-4 times a year.

  6. Anonymous says:

    i have an agility dog so i stack them up and put a stick on them to make a hurdle

  7. Lonnie says:

    I use mine to freeze home made soup in. They’re exactly the right size for my husband and I to share for lunch.

  8. Anthony says:

    If you paint, you can use those for storing art supplies or even as a water tub. Fill it up with some water and use it while you paint. Store your brushes or paints, paper, pencils, and erasers in there, even. The possibilities are endless.

  9. Rebekah says:

    I was just wishing the other day for one of the really large sizes to create a container for raising caterpillars. You can use any large plastic tub with a snap lid, and just cut out the center of the lid for air and viewing. Place a piece of screen or tulle over the lip of the container and snap the lid back on.
    For a caterpillar, put a new section of leaves in the container every couple of days for food, possibly using a florist tube to keep it watered and the caterpillar from drowning.

  10. Turn the container into a coin bank. Cover with paper like wrapping paper, tissue paper, or your child’s artwork.

  11. I always use one to keep my small coins in

  12. Cappenz says:

    You can make rain resistant snail and slug traps for the garden. Cut one-inch square holes in opposite sides a little below the rim (don’t cut the rim). Tuck it into your garden soil up to the level of the holes. Add the cheapest beer you can find. Replace the lid to keep rain out. Cheers.

  13. MA von Dohlen says:

    When my child is ill and they have that look like they’re going to throw up, I always send them to bed with ” a bucket” by their side, just in case. These big yogurt tubs have saved us from having to change sheets in the middle of the night SO many times, if you know what I mean.

  14. Janet Forbes says:

    my mom used to cut them into thin strips, write on them with permanant markers, and use them to label seeds in pots and in the garden.

    I use them for taking food to work (things like cold pasta, which don’t dribble). You can also take a salad in them, add the dressing on location, and shake to mix.

    otherwise, there’s always the local kids group/school, for art projects.

  15. Medeea says:

    I use ice cream containers, but it’s more or less the same thing: use them as food containers. You can freeze finely chopped parsley, put pudding in them, leftovers.
    Store colored crayons in them.
    Store your lipstick collection.
    Store hair pins, hair bands etc
    Store and keep sewing supplies: threads, needles, etc
    Store ribbons

  16. Ulechka says:

    Problem is, you will have too many of them to avoid cluttering the house. Give them to school art classes for their craft projects.

  17. Frugal millionaire says:

    Use them to start avocados idling. Cut 1 inch hall in a lid, fill with water, place avocado seed on top. Don’t forget to cut small slits at the bottom of the seed.



Leave a Reply

Your name
Your email (it will not be published. If you want people to contact you, leave your email address in the message too.)
Your website (if you've got one)