Being mindful of your consumption of food and household items is an excellent step toward saving money and helping the planet. However, many people aren't sure exactly how to reuse containers and packaging, so they turn to the internet for guidance and inspiration.
For example, one Reddit user posted a question about reusing empty oat milk cartons to r/ZeroWaste, asking fellow responsible citizens trying to minimize their environmental impact for advice.
"I go thru this oat milk real fast, and I feel bad for tossing these cartons," the original poster wrote in the caption. "Not sure that they're recyclable. Any ideas on how to reuse/repurpose them?"
This is an excellent question because repurposing old containers has many economic and environmental benefits.
By reusing containers instead of buying brand-new materials, you support the circular economy and save money on items you need. It can also be a fun hobby to get creative with repurposing your trash by using it to create art or organize your home.Â
Meanwhile, you will help keep containers out of landfills, where they contribute to the production of methane gas that traps heat that harms our environment.
Redditors quickly stepped in to help the original poster and provided a variety of suggestions about reusing oat milk containers.
"I cut them in half and start plant propagations in them," one Redditor wrote in the comments.
"You can use them as soap molds," another suggestion read.Â
Someone else commented: "If you have more, you can weave them into really cool things. I saw someone weave them into a reusable grocery bag."
"I make candles at home (mainly citronella for my camping trips)," another person shared. "I try to find old candles and re-melt the wax, and after straining for debris, I use old paper milk cartons and pour the hot wax in them for cooling and storage."
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