According to one organizing aficionado, those big containers of shakeable crumbled parm are worth their weight in, well, cheese — first as a delicious treat and then as an efficient storage container.
The scoop
Home organizer Allison (@everythinginplace) shared a video on her TikTok channel explaining how to give a second life to the container lids, even after all the cheese is gone.
@everythinginplace 🚫 dOn'T cOmE fOr Me 👉🏻 I know this isn't real parmesan 🙄 🧀 My kids call it sprinkle cheese and they like it so I get it 🤷🏻♀️ But if you shop at Costco and get this "parmesan" you can save the lid once you're done with it to reuse or repurpose on regular mouth mason jars. This can be a great way to organize spices in your pantry or even transfer some of the parmesan to a smaller container like I do. What other lids have you been able to reuse on mason jars? #everythinginplace #onthisday #getorganized #howtoorganize #kitchenorganization #masonjar ♬ original sound - Allison | Home Organizing Tips
"If you buy parmesan at Costco, I hope you are saving those lids, because they fit exactly on Mason jars," she says.
Demonstrating how the plastic lid screws neatly onto a smaller Mason jar, she explains that this new setup allows her to keep all sorts of items more easily within reach, from spices to more parmesan.
"I just find it so much more manageable in terms of space in our kitchen fridge," she says.
As a bonus, having holes in the lid makes it ideal for anything that needs to be sprinkled, whether it's salt or powdered laundry detergent.
How it's working
This hack isn't just limited to the parmesan containers from Costco. In fact, many sustainability advocates have shared how they repurpose lids, jars, and similar containers around the home. Many of them are manufactured with standard sizes and can be refitted to each other.
And when it comes to the myriad of ways that you can repurpose these components, the options are endless.
From storing mini travel first aid kits to making and storing homemade celery salt, organizing workbench tools, creating decor with dried flower petals, and more, you can find a new use for almost anything if you're crafty enough. DIY and organizing enthusiasts have posted ideas with old candle holders, spice jars, and even plastic pill bottles.
First and foremost, using these hacks keeps you from spending more money on travel and storage containers, getting the most bang for your buck on the original item.
Additionally, it helps extend the usable lifetime of these lids — almost all of which are plastic — and keep them from sitting in a landfill, where they break down over time into toxic microplastics that leach into waterways and soil.
What people are saying
Viewers were eager to try the hack for themselves.
"This is amazing!" one person enthused.
Another praised the idea, calling it "brilliant."
For more ideas on how to repurpose, upcycle, or recycle your otherwise disposable items, visit TCD's guide here.
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