Coffee is one of the most loved drinks the world over, and every country varies in how they make their morning brew.
In the United States, plastic and tin coffee containers that hold instant coffee is one of the more popular methods, which leaves many households with a lot of them leftover.
Reusing items rather than throwing them away or recycling them is a much greener way of living, and uses less energy than the other choices.
Considering we drink a lot of coffee and this coffee comes housed in disposable containers, it makes sense to start thinking about how we can reduce some of this impact.
What can you do to reuse old tin and plastic coffee containers?
Reusing old materials instead of throwing them out of having them go through the recycling process is an eco-friendlier option, and for coffee containers, there are lots of good options.
You can turn them into planters, gift holders, bird feeders, and many more decorative and practical things, rather than throwing them away.
If you’re someone who uses a lot of these containers and you’re sick of throwing them out, you’re in luck. There are loads of fun ways to transform them into something useful which saves them from landfills and lets you get a whole new use out of them, and they don’t require any craft or handy skills to put together.
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#1 Planter
To create an environmentally friendly object that serves two purposes instead of one, why not turn your old coffee containers into a plant holder?
Not only does this let you reuse something instead of throwing it out, but it enables you to grow your own plants, which could even be herbs that you use yourself in your kitchen.
Clean out the coffee containers and fill them with pre-fertilized soil and a small plant in each. Leave them on the windowsill for optimal light and consider poking holes in the bottom for adequate drainage, depending on the plant’s requirements.
#2 Gift Container
If you drink your coffee from a tin or plastic container, there’s a good chance you still have a lid to use as well. These lidded pots are great for turning into gift holders, and you can decorate them any way you wish.
Some cool gifts you could put into an old coffee container include freshly made cookies, homemade potpourri, or bath crystals. The lid will help keep it fresh and the personal touch of making and decorating everything yourself will mean more than any store-bought gift ever could.
#3 Makeup Brush Holder
Many women have a problem when it comes to organizing their cosmetics and skincare, and are in desperate need of the right storage option to keep everything in order.
Old coffee containers are ideal for storing things like makeup brushes, and they come in all manner of sizes to suit your collection.
The containers can be washed and dried, then decorated in any way you choose, giving you a new home to store your stuff and keeping the old coffee tins out of landfills.
#4 Birdhouse
The bulk size plastic containers aren’t just good for storing coffee, but they’re big enough to house an animal as well.
Birds love to visit people’s gardens and backyards, and if you’ve been hoping for some winged friends of your own, you’ll need to know how to entice them with somewhere cozy and the promise of food.
If you have a few of the large coffee containers spare, you can cut out a large door for the birds to enter through and stick them high up in the trees. Place some bird food inside each day so they come for a visit, and give them somewhere to hang out that’s nice and cool.
#5 Yarn Cubbies
If you’re someone who loves arts and crafts, there’s a good chance you have a lot of spare yarn and wool laying around.
Old tin and plastic coffee containers make the perfect place to store them because of their size, and they even allow you to pull a thread straight out from the opening of the container without making a mess.
Once you’ve stored a ball of yarn in each one, turn them on their side so you can a front view of what’s in there, and get some order back in your craft space.
#6 Kitchen Canister
Our kitchens are full of things that need a home, and if you’ve been trying to get organized and find a place for all of your utensils and ingredients, the coffee canister is a perfect way to do it.
These larger style containers are ideal for keeping things in, whether it’s some brown sugar or a vessel for your wooden spoons and spatulas.
To decorate them, apply a double coat of spray paint and label with them a decorative pen to make them look nice, and then store them on the benchtop or in your pantry to keep things organized.
#7 Flower Vase
The beauty of reusing a coffee container for something around the house is that you already know it’s well-sealed and capable of keeping things fresh, including water.
Therefore, you can use it as a repurposed vase to pour some fresh water in and house your flowers, once it’s been decorated of course.
Get creative and use things like string, glitter, paint, stickers, and more to turn an old coffee container into a vase, and pick some flowers from your garden to get it started.
#8 Wine Rack
Why not turn your favorite morning drink into something that can hold your favorite evening drink?
If you’re someone who likes a glass of wine at the end of the day, your old coffee containers can be used to create a wine rack. Once they’ve been treated and painted, you can adhere a few of them together to create a multi-level rack that keeps your wine stored neatly on the bench.
Make sure you measure out the diameter of your coffee canisters first to be sure they fit the wine bottles, otherwise buying your grounds in larger containers will help with this problem.
Alternatives to Plastic Coffee Containers
Although it’s admirable to come up with ways to reuse tin and plastic coffee containers when you’re done with them, the most eco-friendly option is to stop using them completely or reduce your consumption of plastic with other options.
Thankfully, some great ways allow you to do this without having to give up on your morning caffeine hit.
Making the switch to a reusable coffee filter, brewing your coffee with freshly ground beans from a paper packet, taking a jar to the coffee hours where you buy beans, and buying in bulk are all ways you can reduce your consumption of plastic.
Small changes like these are the ones that end up making a difference, and there’s no reason you have to sacrifice your favorite type of coffee because of it.
Related Questions
There are heaps of everyday items that we can learn to reuse and repurpose at home before the final step of throwing them away.
The act of reusing is an often forgotten one when determining what to do with things we no longer want, but it can be a significant one. Check out these commonly asked questions about reusing items that might help you to make a difference starting right at home.
What Things Can Be Reused at Home?
Many of the items we throw away after use can be reused and made into something else, giving them a chance to be useful once more and saving them from ending up in landfills.
Glass jars can store things, used tea bags can be composted or used to soothe puffy eyes, egg cartons made into seed starters, and old bottles repurposed into bird feeders.
Is It Better to Reuse or Recycle?
In most cases, reusing something uses less energy than recycling it, and if it can be done correctly, this is the preferred path to take.
When something goes through the process of being recycled, it requires further energy to take it apart and re-manufacture it into a new object, even though many people jump straight to this option. Therefore, when you can, it’s best to reuse something at home before you think about throwing it away.
Are There Negatives to Reusing?
Generally speaking, reusing something is an eco-friendly way to get more enjoyment out of it so that it’s not such a waste of resources.
However, there are some negative aspects of it like reusing products with potentially hazardous materials like chemicals, gases, and electrical parts. If you’re unsure about the safety of something you want to reuse, check online to see whether it’s okay or not.
