It doesn’t sound terribly exciting, but I love to be able to reuse packaging when I am meal prepping. It’s truly one of my favorite things about the process because it means I am reducing waste.
Before I started meal prepping regularly, I used to let fresh vegetables sit in my fridge for days and days to spoil. I would find very questionable fruit hidden in a drawer that I had long forgotten, or some wet and moldy vegetables in the other drawer. Meal prepping means I am throwing out less food, because I can plan for my ingredients and (mostly) stick with it.
It’s great that I’ve cut down on actual food waste, but what about all of that food packaging? The thought of the plastic bags I bring home ending up on the beach or in a stream makes my heart hurt. I began to explore options for reusing packaging. Recycling is, of course, an excellent way to reduce waste. However, finding ways to repurpose extra packaging is an even better way. Our everyday grocery staples often come in packaging you can reuse.
How to Reduce Waste by Reusing Packaging
Reducing waste starts at the grocery store. Think about what items you often buy, and if you are up for it, challenge yourself to make it from scratch instead. Ok, so that’s not always possible, but you can start small with it.
I used to buy a dessert every time I went to the store, but now I try out a new recipe and make desserts (cookies, pies, and cupcakes) from scratch instead. It is so rewarding to swap out a common purchase like dessert, dressings, sauces, even oat milk, with something you can make at home. Granted it takes a little bit of time, but that’s less plastic and food-grade cardboard (which you can’t always recycle) to contend with afterward.
Next time you are shopping for your favorite pantry staples, select items packaged in bulk or materials that can be recycled to prevent bringing in unnecessary waste.
If you can find a store with a refillable bulk section, even better! That way, you can measure out the exact amount of dry goods needed to refill your jars and containers at home. In addition to bulk goods, choose items packaged in reusable materials (think glass jars, aluminum cans, sturdy plastic containers) so that they can be repurposed once you are done using them.
Glass Jars
Peanut butter, pickles, jam, mayonnaise, and more! Some of my favorite staples are often stored in glass jars!
Glass is an endlessly recyclable resource, and it also happens to be one of the best to reuse. A good glass jar can provide you with so many more uses. Instead of buying Mason jars, you can use the jar from your favorite peanut butter to store your overnight oats (Even better if there’s still some peanut butter left at the bottom of the jar!). Larger glass jars would be perfect for storing dry pantry goods such as nuts, chia seeds, dried fruit, hemp seeds, and so much more. I store my jars that are not currently in use in a cabinet, and the lids in a drawer with my utensils. This way I know right where to go when it’s time to use them.
If you’re reusing a jar with a strong smell, like pickles, soak the jar overnight with some baking soda to remove the smell and prep the jar to hold whatever you like. Boom, “new” versatile container! You can also run it through the dishwasher, too, or wash it with warm soapy water.
Once you start repurposing jars, it’s good to note how many you already have before saving a new one. This way you don’t end up with a cabinet that’s overcrowded with jars that won’t get used!
Egg Cartons
The small sections of an egg carton make the perfect spot to start a mini herb garden! Choose whichever seeds you would like to grow and plant a few in their own individual crate.
When the seed starts to sprout, you don’t even have to remove the plant from the crate. If it’s made of paper, you can cut the carton and plant directly into the ground or a pot. You could also use this to propagate small pieces of a plant to make a new plant. Your family will be so impressed when you took the sad dried cacti clippings and started a new baby plant with it!
Do you have a friend with chickens? Or do you live near a farm with chickens? People who raise chickens are often looking for cartons for eggs to reuse.
Aluminum Cans
I cook with many beans and canned tomatoes. They are such versatile and affordable ingredients, but I am left with a lot of metal cans to recycle. Like our previously mentioned egg cartons, cans also make for a great plant pot.
Don’t use a lot of canned foods? There’s a certain nostalgic vibe to using old cans, too. You can find such things at yard sales an antique shops.
Transfer your sprouted herbs from the egg cartons to a can and have a small herb garden right in your kitchen. In addition to plant uses, keep a can near the stove while you cook and use it to store old grease instead of pouring it down the drain. A lot of cooks use an old glass jar, too, for things like bacon fat. You can store it in the fridge where it will solidify and then reuse it if desired.
Plastic Bags
Plastic bags are he least recyclable item on our list. Some grocery stores will take them and have big receptacles next to trash and recycling by their entrances. And many stores (and some states) have banned the use of them altogether. But plastic bags don’t seem like they’ll ever go away completely. It pains me to throw away plastic bags the most, so try to get another use out of it if you can. Think bread bags, produce bags, snack bags, and more!
As mentioned above, the best way would be to make some of these commonly purchased items instead of buying them in the first place. But that’s not always possible, and that is okay! These bags can add up quickly, but there are definitely creative ways to use them before trashing.
My favorite way is to save veggie scraps or meat pieces and put in the freezer for a future delicious homemade stock. Keep a few bags in your car to collect any garbage that ends up there. If you have a pet, these will come in super handy when you have to clean up after them, and you won’t have to buy other pet baggies as much! Double win.
Yogurt / Cottage Cheese / Talenti Containers
Any sturdy plastic container with a lid is a perfect travel receptacle for food. Before I upgraded to glass meal prep containers, I would use a sizable yogurt container to store my leftovers, and it worked great! They also work really well for meal prepping overnight oats.
It may not be the most ~aesthetic~, but in a pinch, a leftover plastic container works perfectly fine to store food. Another good way to use these containers is to share the love. Send your friends and family home with a container of delicious food you made. Plus, you won’t worry about getting the container back because it is not one of your favorite meal prep containers. I also like to store work snacks like popcorn and nuts because they travel easily.
I hope this list of everyday items that are thrown out and/or recycled inspires you!
Before you toss your items, pause. Think about how you could get even just one more use out of that jar, can, or bag. Consider just how rewarding it will feel about repurposing something you would have otherwise thrown away.
As important as it is to repurpose items before recycling, sometimes that is not possible. It is essential to check with your city’s regulations to find the proper way to recycle items. Determine what can and cannot be recycled. Make sure the items are clean and dry. The average resident in my city throws away around 5 pounds of of trash per day!
By making these small, simple changes and following the recycling guidelines in your city, you can drastically reduce waste and reduce your carbon footprint.
Through the process of meal prepping and planning, the WWL Meal Prep Program helps all members become better cooks. Learn more about starting a free trial here!
Leave a Reply