I am overrun with plastic containers that aren't recyclable in my area (we only can recycle #1 and #2 plastics). Are there any crafts I can do with them or does anyone have a suggestion for donating them. Our local senior center can't use them. I have given away bagfuls at yard sales and still have more. Thanks in advance for your help.
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Give them to an art teacher at your local school, they are great for organizing crayons, beads, markers, scissors, etc. Also preschool teachers. I use them in my drawers all over to keep items separate.
Check with local schools to see if they might need any.
What about at the local food bank?
In our small towns, we have community suppers, and containers are needed to send food home, so perhaps a community center or church could use them.
There might be a need for these at a pre-school or Sunday school to store things in.
I use plastic containers for freezing leftovers or sending lunches or freezing soup or berries.
Daycare and nursery schools might be able to use them. Elementary schools could also use them. They would make great containers for crayons, arts and crafts, etc.
Donate them to thift stores - Slavation Army, Goodwill, etc.
Turn them into planters - a few holes in the botton and you have a free planter.
Put them on freecycle in your area. I did this with milk jugs and water jugs and even cat litter containers. Sadly we don't have curb side recycling...but this is a way to recycle just the same.
Donate them for plants to be grown in them. Your church might use a few.
Yes, I agree with elem schools or even for church art projects, but also, I have found great luck giving away some of the strangest things on Craig's List's "Free" area. When we sold our home & moved we gave away tons of stuff on Craig's list, including a dozen, 5 gallon buckets of used ceramic clay dust powder (from slip casting pottery for 10 years). We thought "Who could use this stuff?" But, then we found out that people use clay to make "Cob" ovens, sheds & even homes by mixing it in with straw & sand.
I just thought of something... Some of those smaller containers could be used as molds to make soap in.
For crafting use, if the recycle code is No. 6 (PS, or polystyrene), you can use the plastic exactly like Shrinky-Dinks. Just clean it very well, cut a largish flat section, decorate, and shrink in a toaster oven set at 325F. I find that it helps to lightly sand the plastic before use, especially if using something other than Sharpies to decorate it.
Soak off the labels. cut them in half about midway down & make little terrariums.
put the top back on to keep the moisture in.
Cut off the top & use the bottom for pencil holder or in the bathroom to hold brushes & emery boards & such in the medicine cabinet or behind the sink or in a drawer. Also in a child's room for toys or crayons. Use in workshop for screws or nails or bolts.
Use for snacks; wash & rinse well & fill with favorite TV time snack. Keep the bottom half in the pet food sack to scoop with.
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