Eating takeout can save a lot of time and stress that comes with making dinner. However, it can make you feel guilty, as restaurants send out many plastic containers with every order.
One TikToker has revealed a neat trick to reuse these containers to avoid tossing them in overcrowded landfills.
@foodindy Restaurants KEEP giving out plastic containers so I reuse as many as i can. Today I'm using them to organize beads. #plasticreuse #reducereuserecycle #keepitoutoflandfill #beading ♬ original sound - Dalton Smiley
The scoop
Food influencer Suzette Chaumette (@foodindy) shared the hack in a recent video on TikTok, urging her followers to reuse spare plastics.
"Restaurants KEEP giving out plastic containers so I reuse as many as I can," she said in the post. "Today I'm using them to organize beads."
In the video, Suzette shows off various takeout sauce containers filled with beads to easily organize them for crafts and other activities. If the container comes with a lid, it can keep all your craft supplies safe from accidentally falling out or spilling.
How it's working
Reusing plastic containers is a great way to save money on other storage bins or tubs for items big and small. Many Tupperware containers come in large packs that can cost upwards of $100 for quality brands sold by retailers like Amazon. By repurposing takeout containers from restaurants, parents and families don't have to spend an extra dime to store crafty materials.
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Giving these takeout containers a second life also goes a long way to help support our planet. Reusing the containers for storage or other crafts helps reduce personal waste.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that more than 146 million tons of waste end up in overcrowded landfills annually, which emit toxic air-warming pollution. Lowering the number of items we toss out helps reduce the amount that winds up in these landfills and keeps our air cleaner for longer.
If you have no purpose for these small takeout containers, consider recycling them instead of throwing them in the trash when possible. Not only is recycling good for our local ecosystems, but Americans can collect cash recycling some items in some states. Check out The Cool Down's guide page on recycling to learn more.
What people are saying
Several other TikTok users raved over the repurposing hack, sharing that they too have reused the takeout containers as storage for rubber bands, seeds, glitter, buttons, and more.
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"I grate batches of ginger and garlic, fill these up and stick them in the freezer," one user commented.
"Those are so handy!! They could be used for anything!!" another said.
Suzette wholeheartedly agreed, responding to the user, "You're right! These containers are good for so many things."
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