Repurpose Common Kitchen Items and Save Some Green

Repurpose, Reuse, then Recycle; that order could help save you money when starting out.

We all look for ways to save and little tricks we can use to help us better our lives for ourselves and those around us, and part of  doing that is making the most of our resources. Sometimes, things happen in life, and you need to start from the ground up. These tips are not meant for everyone, but they will help those who are looking to be a little more green and save some money in the process. Here are a few items most people will eventually have in their kitchen that can can be repurposed to save some money.

1. Plastic to-go containers

Use them to keep food or store things in. These make great substitute leftover containers as they tend to be sturdier than most items. Usually they are mass meal prep containers used be the restaurants for to-go orders so they are meant to be reused. Before tossing them out, make the most of this item and get a few more uses from it. 

2. Salad dressing bottles

Use them to store your homemade sauces in.  This is a great item to repurpose if you have a sauce you like.  Salad dressing containers are usually shaped to benefit pouring or squirting, so these are a great item on hand to have for keeping any sauce you make from scratch. You can also use jars to store your sauces in, however you won't benefit from the ease of repurposing a bottle designed for condiments specifically. 

3.     Jars 

Use them as food storage, or other sauce storage.  These also come in handy when you need a container for work or travel. You can use the larger ones for salad in a jar variants; such as quinoa salad in jar, noodle salad in a jar, or lentil salad in a jar.

4.     Plastic containers

Those that come from large yogurts or sour creams can be multi-purposed and reused as general organization containers or for side projects such as painting before you toss them out for good. You can also use them for outings at the park or for storing leftovers. They can be used in the interim until you find better containers. I found the a yogurt container that fits a bagel sandwich in it perfectly, so it won't get crushed for lunch. You maybe able to find a unique purpose for a container you previously threw out as well. Smaller plastic containers can aid in workshop organization or drawer organization as well.

5.     Plastic salad bins

Use them as a place to put your compostable items, or your soil amendments like coffee grounds and egg shells, etc. Or since these are larger you can use them as temporary clear storage bins for little projects, the kids toys, dog toys, or drawer organization. This is another interim item that you can repurpose before buying an actual composting container or better storage organization.

6.     Plastic soap dispensers

These are great to repurpose and reuse for cleaning projects, like dishes, bathtubs, scrubbing floors, etc.  The dispensing action make it an easy applicator for cleaning projects. Also, if you have a guest bedroom or just expanded a space, these are great to have on hand as a quick soap dispenser. You can also repurpose these guys on camping trips. They won't break and you can use them for cleaning on the go.