How can I reuse or recycle orphaned storage tub lids?
We’ve had an email from Sally, saying:
I have several orphaned lids to storage tubs. What can do with them?
What is it with tubs and their lids? We also have a collection of now lidless tubs and tubless lids – the tubs can be put to tub-ish tasks elsewhere but the lids…
I’ve used a couple of flimsy take-away food ones as saucers under plants but have a tendency to over-water causing spillages because they’re too shallow. I’ve also used them for stray animal feeding. But we’ve still got a (in)decent collection waiting for reuses.
Suggestions then?
Thanks for posting my question.
In my case, my biggest problem is the lids for large storage bins. I imagine you can put a lot of plants on one.
Thanks again!
For the large ones, they make a good tray under a cat litter box to catch the stray bits that get kicked out.
Also, they make a slide-able “shelf” in a pantry or linen closet. Just put the stuff on the lid and you can slide the lid out to see everything; no digging in a dark closet recess!
And a good tray to hold multiple cans of paint while you’re painting. Keeps the drips off your floor.
If the lids have a 6 in the recycle triangle you can use them for shrinky-dinks! Draw on the lids with sharpies, cut’em out and bake them on low heat. After they have winkled and flattened back out again they are done shrinking.
youre my hero!
Empty containers I used to fill with water for my cats.
Large lids are convenient for under the sink items so they don’t leak on or leave marks on the shelf. I’ve used smaller ones as shelf liners in upper cabinets.
Place to put your shoes/boots in/outside the door.
If you have wire shelves, lay them down to prevent items from slipping thru.
Cut in half to use as outdoor/garage dustpans. Cut in half zigzag they could be used to pick up leaves, grass clippings, etc.
Use as tops of non-lidded boxes – banana boxes come to mind
Use for doing jigsaw puzzles
Use when sorting lots of small items – like nails/screws you’ve saved from other projects.
Use when rolling coins
The might be too flimsy for large plants, but I use things like takeaway containers to start seedlings. I make drainage holes with a hot needle, and the lids make a nice drip tray.
Cut off the rim and:
use to separate burger patties for the freezer
use a larger lid for a cutting mat, that can then be folded to pour the contents out
use smallish ones as a coaster for your glass. the rim will hold the condensation!
use as a mixing tray for painting
use as a spoon rest
place one under the cleanser can to avoid rust marks on counter
I cut them up and use as label tags for rows of plants onthe allotment
I cut a round one to fit over the open hopper of my manual coffee grinder. It stops beans from flying out as I get near the end of the batch.
use the larger ones under the toaster to catch the crumbs that fall out
Cut off the ridged edges (or not) and lace them together side by each thru holes punched in edges to make a screen for a work area…make an outdoor piece of wall art (you can successfully paint on plastic if you use a good primer), placemats would work too. I’ve cut apart every kind of orphaned plastic to make garden labels too…a sharpie is fine for permanent ID. Or give them to the kids to make bitty masks for dolls. I always have one on the counter to hold my coffee/tea spoon so I don’t need to keep pulling out a clean spoon and washing multiples in one day.
I cut mine down to repair the broken bottom of the cutlery container in the dishwasher, prevents the knives and handles falling all the way through the broken mesh.
Take of the edge of the lid and draw your stencil , cut out with a stanley or craft knife and you have a ever lasting stencil for cards or home decorating.
this is a bit different.. but how about attaching the lids together like this to make more storage containers
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/03/howto_stitch_broken_plastic_bi.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954
Thanks for the link above. It is interesting because it is similar in a way to how a lot of wire work began. To fix broken plates.