Is your bin constantly full after those Uber Eats or Grubhub orders? If you're wondering what to do with old plastic container lids, one video from TikToker Sacred Elements World (@sacredelements) showed a simple solution. Combine them with your green thumb and use them as plant coasters.
The scoop
This hack is simple and doesn't require additional money beyond the food you initially purchased. The next time you order some takeout soup or buy anything with a plastic container, resist the urge to toss it — save it instead.
@sacredelements Have an idea too? Please drop them in comments so we can all learn ways to be less wasteful in 2023 🪴🫶♻️ #sacredelements #lifehack #plantparent #fypシ ♬ Ayye Ayye - Eric Harris
According to Sacred Elements World, "plastic lids don't recycle" in her city. However, instead of giving up and automatically putting them in the trash, she found a creative solution.
Other clever solutions for upcycling plastic lids included using the top of a parmesan cheese shaker to cover a mason jar — those holes are perfect sizes to fit a straw for smoothies.
How it's helping
Coasters are a way to protect furniture surfaces from sweat, heat damage, scratches, or dirty rings from glasses, pots, etc. They can also add an aesthetic quality to your home decor.
Luckily, this TikTok solution isn't just for plastic but also those made from metal, wood, or other materials. After all, the better the material, the nicer coaster you'll have.
Instead of more consumption from buying a new set of coasters, know your recycling options and learn more about repurposing packaging. As fans of Bath & Body Works have shown, old candle lids can become highly decorative wood coasters and shiny metal holiday ornaments.
Reusing plastic, a material that can take up to 500 years to break down before contaminating the environment, per the World Wildlife Fund, is a sustainable way to protect the planet. While ensuring your plant pot won't cause water damage, you also prevent more polluting and planet-heating gases from forming in a landfill or adding to the millions of microplastics clogging waterways and choking wildlife.
The sky's the limit in how you can add to a circular economy and avoid overconsumption by using things you already have.
If you run out of ways to repurpose items like old clothes, accessories, or appliances, declutter and donate them for cash or rebates to organizations like Trashie or GotSneakers. Join local Buy Nothing groups that trade services and items for free.
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Several hours a week 🧑🌾 What everyone's saying
"Great Idea," wrote one commenter.
"Yesss!!! I use lids all the time for coasters!!" said another.
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