Artist shares ingenious trick to repurpose takeout container lids: 'How have I never thought of that?'

One artist showed an effortless hack to save takeout containers from the trash and keep some extra money in your pocket for painting projects.

The scoop

TikTok artist earthandeasel (@earthandeasel) shared a video showing evidence of how they repurpose the tops of takeout containers into painting palettes.

@earthandeasel Takeout containers can be a great alternative to buying palettes 🎨 I use water soluble paints for the clear lids where I can fully wash and still recycle them if I want to ♻️ My area doesn't recycle black plastic so I use those for non-water soluble paints and/or to close the containers (helping to prevent paint from drying). Does anyone else use takeout containers as palettes? 👩🏻‍🎨🎨 #art #painting #paintsupplies #recycledart #watercolor #gouache #acrylic #artsupplies #artist #paint #arttips ♬ Drama Fashion Joy Latin Elevator Music - AceAudioHQ

Even better, their caption revealed that the hack doesn't just stop there. They noted they intentionally use water-soluble paints on the clear lids. That means they can reuse them as palettes, and they are still recyclable when they're done.

They also left no stone unturned when it comes to the black plastic that makes up the other part of most takeout receptacles. Their area, unfortunately like many others, doesn't recycle black plastic. Instead of just tossing the containers away, they use them for non-water-soluble paints or to fully close the containers to stop paint from drying.

How it's helping

This hack does an admirable job of delaying plastic's trip to a recycling facility or, even worse, the landfill. Once plastic goes to a landfill, it can take decades to break down and contribute to planet-heating gases like methane.

There's also the growing concern about microplastics that can leak into our bodies, the oceans, groundwater, and soil. Scientists have connected them to a series of health concerns. When it comes to takeout containers, there is emerging research showing that not eating food out of them or reheating food in them is an advisable safety measure.

For the plastic that does get sent to a recycling center, there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about the journey from there. Less than 10% of America's plastic gets recycled, and the plastic that is recycled is made into less valuable and useful forms.

The hack also saves artists from buying more paint palettes. While some of them are made from wood, there are other synthetic ones made from plastic. Increased production adds to overall pollution that warms the planet with alarming consequences.

With all that in mind, earthandeasel's hack is a great way to make a small dent in your personal waste and take on the plastic problem.

Do you ever put plastic containers in your microwave? No way 👎 Sometimes 🤷 Yes 👍 I don't have a microwave 🤓 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

What everyone's saying

Commenters were impressed by the TikToker's ingenuity.

One asked, "How have I never thought of that?"

Another shared their own remedy with a laughing emoji, indicating their hack might not be as practical: "I used to use cardboard from cereal boxes."

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