April 23, 2011
5 Great Uses for Take Out Boxes
Just because your restaurant leftovers are gone after you devoured them last night at midnight, doesn’t mean the container your leftovers came in needs to be thrown away. You don’t have to be a restaurant owner to find a use for food packaging. Surprisingly enough, regular people have several uses for the common take out box you are given to take home your leftovers in, and anymore they are well-designed and durable so they don’t look like obvious eyesores. By reusing the plastic take-out containers you’re also doing the planet a favor. Five great ways to use leftover food storage containers include:
Replace the Tupperware
Plastic food storage containers typically used to deliver take-out or package up leftovers were specifically designed to protect and store food. So why not use them for the same reason after you eat your restaurant leftovers? Simply wash the containers out and use it to package your kids’ school lunches or even your own. You can even use them to store your own homemade leftovers, and many are microwave safe which makes reserving the leftovers a breeze.
Small Storage
Paper clips, push pins and rubberbands can easily create a mess in any desk drawer, and you guessed it, placing a small food storage container in a drawer can easily organize these items. Most plastic take out containers even have compartments in them allowing you to separate all your desk items.
Art Projects
Not only can the left over food packaging be used to create jewelry boxes or faux treasure chests, but they can also be used to facilitate the creative process by serving as mixing dishes and water bowls. After consuming your leftovers, simply wash out the containers and keep a small stack of them with your children’s art supplies so that they may easily be grabbed when your kid sits down to create.
On-the-Go Watering Bowls
If you and your canine companion frequent the local trails or dog parks, you know the importance of keeping your dog well hydrated, and letting your dog drink out of your water bottle isn’t always an easy or sanitary task. However, with a cleaned take-out container, you can easily provide your dog with a water bowl without having to haul the big one around.
Water Saucer for Flower Pot
Have a flower pot that drains all over the floor? Well, why spend an extra $2 for a water saucer when you can just use a left over take out box? Both the top and bottom pieces of a plastic take out box make great water saucers, and they’re free with the purchase of your restaurant meal.
If you already have a house full of plastic take-out containers being re-used, remember to recycle the new ones you have brought home. While re-using is one great green way to live, so is recycling so don’t be afraid to toss your take-out containers in the appropriate recycling containers if you can’t find a use for them.










