Recycle Fast Food Containers

Don’t throw away or recycle those fast food containers just yet. Reuse them when gardening indoors and out.

The bottom of salad, pasta and other containers make great saucers for your indoor plants. Many are black, giving them an elegant look and feel while others are clear so they are less noticeable. Place a few marbles or pebbles in the bottom to capture the excess water and increase humidity. The plants rest on the pebbles above the existing water, preventing root rot. As the excess water evaporates it increases the humidity around the plants. You also save time and the mess created pouring off the excess water each time you water houseplants thoroughly.

Or use them for starting seeds and growing microgreens. Fill the bottom of a clean container with seed starting mix, plant your seeds, and gently water. Then close the clear lid and you have a mini greenhouse.

A bit more information: Use plastic airtight containers for storing extra seeds. Save any leftover seeds in their original packets. You’ll preserve the needed planting and growing information as well as the seeds. Place seed packets in the container, close the lid, and store in the refrigerator until the next planting season.