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Consider how many times we throw away somethingpaying to have it hauled offthen pay again to purchase something that does exactly what that "trash" does? Not to mention that whatever we purchased is likely to end up in the landfill itself sooner or later. Repurposing what we already have on hand can save money and contribute to an ecologically friendly lifestyle.

Containers alone count for a huge part of the throw-and-buy-the-same-thing cycle. Entire stores are devoted to selling containers and closet organizers when we recycle perfectly good jars, bottles, tubs and boxes every day. Reusing and repurposing the containers is even better on the environment than recycling them, since not only is the energy not expended to recycle them, but the resources are not spent to manufacture the item that would have been purchased.

Washed out and with a few holes punched in the bottom, the plastic tubs that sour cream, yogurt and cottage cheese come in can transform into flowerpots, with the lids inverted underneath to serve as saucers. A few strips of colorful duct tape covers up the printing, so no one needs to be any the wiser that the windowsill herb garden grows in old cottage cheese containers. To turn a tub into a hanging basket, punch 3 holes around the rim of the container, about half an inch from the top, insert wire loops through each hole, and run 12-18 inches of wire or string from each loop to an s-hook above the container.

Why recycle glass containers when there are so many uses for them around the house? Clear glass jars are great for storing pantry staples, and some brands of salsa and pasta sauce come in interesting jars that make a pantry into an attractive display of colors and shapes. The jars also make pretty vases for small, informal flower arrangements, especially with a scrap of ribbon tied around them.

Cardboard boxes, from shoeboxes to corrugated shipping boxes, can pull a second shift as bins in a closet organizing system, or corralling small items together in a pantry. The boxes can be covered with shelf paper to match the dcor, or left as is.

If you buy printer paper by the box, the empty paper boxes make good file storage, being just the right size for all of your 8 1/2 x 11 household papers. The paper boxes can also be decorated and used to store children's drawings and other school projects.

Repurposing containers does not have to end with repurposing them to contain something different. Brown or green bottles, broken into small pieces inside a bag, make an attractive soil cover for houseplants, as long as there are no small children around who might get hurt by the broken glass. A pair of coffee mugs can hold up a narrow board on a counter to add some shelf space.

The possibilities of repurposing containers are endless. All it takes is some thinking that is so far outside the box that the box is no longer just a box.

Learn more about this author, Janet Harriett.
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