Gardener shares simple way to reuse mismatched food storage containers around the home: 'Perfect solution'

Much like losing a sock's counterpart while doing the laundry, plastic storage containers and their lids always seem to get separated from each other in our homes. When this happens, they might no longer seem useful and ultimately may be tossed out. But one home gardener shared a simple hack that can give these mismatched items a whole new purpose. 

The scoop

TikToker lecherbsherbs (@lecherbsherbs) offered a quick and easy way to upcycle these containers and lids. And it's the perfect opportunity to make sure that these items stay out of our increasingly overloaded landfills. 

@lecherbsherbs Got mismatched containers and lids? Don't toss them—repurpose them! Fill the containers with water and use them to bottom-water your plants. It's an easy way to reduce waste and keep your plants hydrated! #GardeningTips #ReuseAndRepurpose #plantsomethingandwatchitgrow #themoreyouknowthemoreyougrow ♬ original sound - lecherbsherbs

In the short video, the home gardener explains that her "perfect solution" for using mismatched containers and lids is to leverage them as water trays for bottom-feeding plants. "Don't toss them — repurpose them!" she wrote.

All you need to do is grab a lid or container large enough to fit the bottom of your potted plant. Fill this "tray" with a small amount of water and place the plant inside. If your plants are small enough, you may even be able to fit two side by side, as this creator did. 

How it's helping

Bottom-feeding is a great way to ensure your plants are properly watered while promoting healthy roots. When you bottom-feed, plants are able to consume the exact amount of water they need, so this technique can prevent overwatering and root rot. Just about any potted plant can be bottom-fed. 

On top of keeping your plants healthy, reusing plastic containers and lids can prevent waste. A 2022 study from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found that just 9% of all plastic waste was recycled. Nearly 50% of plastic waste ended up in regional landfills while another 19% was simply incinerated. 

However, the most concerning stat may be that the "remaining 22% was disposed of in uncontrolled dumpsites, burned in open pits or leaked into the environment." 

By upcycling plastic containers and lids, you can help minimize the amount of waste that not only sits in our landfills but winds up littered throughout our environment as well. 

What everyone's saying

Like most hacks shared to help reduce the amount of plastic waste in the world, this bottom-feeding method is a surprisingly simple way to accomplish two things at once. 

"It's an easy way to reduce waste and keep your plants hydrated!" the video's creator wrote.

What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time ⏳ Not enough space 🤏 It seems too hard 😬 I have a garden already 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

One viewer appeared to be inspired by the eco-friendly post: "Thanks[.] I have plenty of non matches in my cabinet."

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