The Tupperware Challenge
Last night as I was finishing up dinner and putting away the leftovers, I went in search of some handy containers where I could find both the base and the lid. For all of you who keep a stash of tupperware, you may know that it can be a real challenge at times to find both these things. There is the sorting, searching out similar shapes, and then finally, trying to fit them together.
With this challenge in tow last night, I opened up the drawer to find plenty of bases, and plenty of lids, but no matches for what I needed. Where did it all go? (I often wonder if the dryer sock monster and the tupperware disappearance has any connection.) I don’t want to have to go out and purchase more tupperware, so I looked towards my cupboards for some help. I was then reminded of the importance of reusing the containers that so many people take as trash.
Our refrigerators and cupboards are full of them: yogurt, butter, cottage cheese and sour cream containers, not to mention the endless amounts of jars that products come in now days. These can easily be used as storage containers, and they will be easy to find the top and bottom as each container is unique. So, what’s stopping so many people from using them? I think that it is a habit to finish a product and then throw it directly in the trash. We need to break these habits, use some creativity, and implement the second R: Reuse.
I’ve been reusing food containers for some time now and I feel pretty good about it. Not only am I keeping these things out of the landfill, as a lot of the containers can’t be recycled in the county facilities, but also saving time and money on the tupperware.
October 3rd, 2006 at 4:45 pm
What I’ve been using are jars. I already do my own canning. Storage is a bit of a pain. However, with canning jars, there are only 2 sizes of lids regular and wide mouth. Some of them are even freezable (if it says on the side of the jar)! As the plastic storage units lose their lids, they go into the recycling bin, and we reuse the jars over and over again. Some of the jars have been in the family since my grandmother’s time. There are even the old Pyrex refridgerator covered dishes that can be found at yard sales and flea markets. Before plastic, the cookware was used.
Just some more ideas from the times of yore!
Jen M.
October 4th, 2006 at 9:39 am
I’ve recently started to do something new with my tupperware to make the search for matches quick. I’ve sorted out all of the tupperware, put the appropriate lids and bases together, and then gave them all a name, and labeled them accordingly. We picked the theme of famous couples such as: Ben and Jerry, Lucy and Ricky, etc. So, when we dig in the drawer, and find a Ben, we know to look for Jerry to finish the set. It sounds silly, but it helps avoid going through each lid to see if it fits.