Reader Question: How do I manage all my plastic food containers?

Photo courtesy of Rubbermaid

If I had a nickel for every plastic container I’ve seen at clients’ houses, I could retire by now.

Containers without lids, stained containers, melted containers – why are they still hanging around your house?

A reader recently asked what is the best way to organize all of the food containers. My answer is that there is no “best” way; the best way for you will depend on your available storage space, the number of containers you have and how often you use them.

There are many products you can use to store your plastic ware; however, the first step is determining how much of it you really use.

 

Gather it all in one place (you might be surprised by how much you have) and make sure that every container has a lid. Then, discard any that you would be embarrassed to take to a potluck. Finally, evaluate whether the ones you have meet your needs. If you never use the teeny tiny ones, give them away. Those big ones only get used for Thanksgiving leftovers? Put them somewhere remote.

Now that you have pared down your collection, put them in a drawer or on a shelf where you can access them easily, along with the lids. Here is a clever way to keep lids on a cupboard door  

Because people always ask, my favorite containers are square, stackable and use the same lid for different sized bases.

What are you going to do with all the space you’ve gained from letting go of your unneeded plastic containers?

Organized by Marcie TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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