Expert shares brilliant way to repurpose old jar and container lids: 'It works'

Whenever you buy a jar or a container at the supermarket, the food inside is only the beginning. One crafty plant lover shared how she repurposes her jar lids to help keep her plants healthy and thriving — and her apartment clean.

The scoop

While showing off her plant collection in a TikTok video, Jessica (@rushhourroots) also shared a great use for old container lids.

@rushhourroots You get the idea. What do you use as a drip tray? #waterplants #reusesblejars #reusablelids #catchtrays #repurpose #planttiktok #plantsoftiktok #planthack #planterstrickshot #planttok #planttips #plantadvice #planttipsntricks ♬ original sound - RushHourRoots

Noting that many of the plants' nursery pots had drainage holes in the bottom, Jessica said, "What I'm not fine with is … not knowing what to do with the water that comes out when you're watering or bottom watering them."

To solve the issue, Jessica explained, "I've been taking old jars that I've used up, and I've been reusing lids from many different things that I have in my apartment."

Jessica shared examples of the lids reused, including ones from an old Tupperware container, a yogurt container, a Talenti gelato container, and an extra Nutribullet blender lid.

They may not be fancy, but Jessica pointed out, "It works, it does the job."

How it's helping

Taking advantage of easy hacks like this is an excellent way to save money on growing the plant collection of your dreams. 

Plastic nursery pots are extremely common and affordable, but they create messes when water leaks out the drainage holes. With a separate drip tray, they become a viable and affordable option. The trays also protect furniture from damage while allowing plants to soak up water as they need it.

And not only does this cut down on costs, it also cuts down on your own pollutive footprint.

Do you worry about how much food you throw away? Definitely 😭 Sometimes 😢 Not really 😞 Never 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

The average American generates nearly five pounds of trash per day. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, we send 146 million tons of trash to landfills each year. Annually, these landfills release the same planet-warming emissions as 23.1 million gas-powered cars.

Further, as the Conservation Law Foundation phrased it, "All that wet garbage, brimming with chemicals, solvents, volatile organic compounds, dyes, plastics, and heavy metals, oozes garbage juices. … This noxious stew is highly toxic and a major threat to the purity of water and the health and safety of both animals and people living nearby."

It's all the more reason to mend, repurpose, reuse, resell, upcycle, and — once you're out of options — responsibly recycle your belongings.

What everyone's saying

Commenters were excited to try it. "That's a good idea," one said. "The ice cream lid is pro."

Others had already seen the benefits of repurposing containers for plants. "I reuse lids too!" another enthused.

If you want a hack for the bottom of that jar or container too, you're in luck — fellow DIYers and repurposing enthusiasts have plenty of ideas. Try these related tricks and turn your sauce jars into to-go coffee cups, your candle jars into storage containers, your to-go containers into paint palettes, and even your pickle jars into an endless pickle supply.

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