Our guest blogger, Anna Evans, gives insights and tips on how you can be creative with your old plastic packaging.
With so much emphasis placed on sustainable packaging and recycling, consumers are trying to find new ways to keep plastic containers out of landfills. Today’s guest blogger, Anna Evans, gives us a new, creative spin on DIY projects that anyone can do at home.
Since first being widely introduced in the 19th century, plastics have become an increasingly indispensable part of our lives. The growth of the plastics industry over the last 30 years has been steady—consistently rising 2.4% annually.
With the increasing volume of production, efforts to create more sustainable packaging solutions and repurpose existing plastics have become a key focus for producers and consumers alike. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 33 million tons of plastic waste were generated in 2013 in the U.S. alone—nearly 13 percent of all municipal solid waste.
While recycling can limit this waste, processing the many different types of commercial plastic available can also prove costly. Alternately, repurposing plastic packaging for everyday use can not only be simpler, but can also save consumers money. Here are a few creative ideas for how to reuse plastic packaging.
Plastic Bottle Juicer
Cutting off the base of a two-liter plastic bottle results in a crafty (and inexpensive) take on a fruit juicer that is safe and easy to use. Make yourself fresh-squeezed orange juice or lemonade with this impromptu juicer and save yourself the money it would take to buy an expensive juicer, or even one of the cheap plastic models that would set you back a couple of bucks.
Turn Older Toilets into Low-flow
Take a narrow plastic water bottle, add a few heavier items to it (stones or sand will work) and fill the rest with water. Seal the bottle and place it in the water tank of your toilet, making sure it doesn’t interfere with the moving parts. This will reduce the amount of water used each time the toilet is flushed, saving money on water bills.
Use Pill Blister Packs as Box Cutters
Pill packets have a thin, sharp edge that can cut through packing tape easily—yet is still safer to handle than most knives and blades.
Turn Plastic Containers into Pots for Seedlings
Small plastic food containers like yogurt cups and the bottom of gallon cartons are great for fostering seedlings. Just poke a few small holes in the carton to allow for drainage and fill them with soil and your seeds to get your garden started.
Mesh Produce Bag Scrubbers
Save money on cleaning supplies by turning the mesh plastic bags that are often used to contain produce like garlic or onions into a homemade dish scrubber. Cut off the metal tip, gather up the bag into a clump, and then tie it with twine to use to scrub stuck on food off dishes.
CD Case Desktop Frame
Remember back in the 90s when CDs were all the rage? This once trendy musical format has now gone the way of the 8-track tape as digital downloads and streaming have taken over. So what to do with all those plastic jewel cases that once occupied your awesome zig-zag CD tower?
Why not empty the paper labelling out (and recycle it of course), open the case and prop it open upside down so you can use it to store reminder notes, dinner recipes, or even family photos.
There are many other ways that plastic packaging can be repurposed for everyday use. All of these solutions lead to increased savings for consumers and a reduced impact on the environment by helping to keep plastic out of landfills.
With experience in the plastic container industry, Anna Evans, the Association Manager at CM Services, Inc., works with the National Association of Container Distributors (NACD) and the Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA). Mold-Rite is proud to be the 2015 NACD Supplier of the Year. According to their website, NACD is committed to the distribution of quality packaging components by establishing the market connection between manufacturers/producers and users incorporating the following values:
- A belief that our system is the most economical, efficient and value-added method to achieve the preferred resource status.
- A commitment to the development of knowledgeable, competitive sales organizations.
- A pledge to maintain high moral and ethical behavior in our market place and in our community.
- The promise of a financially sound Association that provides continuing education for its members, for producers, and for the industry to which it belongs.
Before you have something to repurpose or recycle, you need to choose the right closure for your package. Click HERE to learn about our 110mm Flapper, which uses 20% less material to reduce shipping weight and costs.
