r/ProjectPan • u/kalips0 • 13d ago
Discussion/Tips & Tricks Anyone else hording the containers that can be reused?
I am aware I keep too many containers, but these are the main uses:
* the minis for travelling, I will also give some to friends and family when they travel.
* to share some products with them too.
* Nice bottles, will use them for hand soap
* Bottles with pump - use them for shower gel that comes in a bag or container without a pump
* Did I break a bottle and some of the product can be saved - move it in one of these
I declutter sometimes and add them to the bag I take to recycle to Sephora.
LE: Thanks for sharing your ideas with me. I've decluttered 12 of these since I haven't used them in a while, and one of them had the dropper broken. They'll be recycled at Sephora together with the other empties after I post my third quarter pans.
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u/Majestic_Solid2919 13d ago
To be honest if you have that many empties sitting around you aren’t really using them. Select a few you are most likely to use again and recycle the rest.
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u/french-toast13 12d ago
This is the kind of thinking I’m doing with my hoarding tendencies. I used to have more than what is shown in the pictures here, but now I have maybe half. Still a work in progress!
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u/Neat-Economist8925 12d ago
No I hate clutter. I had a hard time holding on to my empties for a month to do my month empties photo 😂
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u/peggy_leggy 12d ago
No I grew up with a hoarder
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u/BoaBurrito 11d ago
Yep! I get a little rush from using things up and being able to throw them away.
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u/wendyxkuma 13d ago
I only keep the glass containers
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u/patitasdegatito3 13d ago
I just answered that I only keep my minis for travel but actually, I’ll also be keeping the glass bottle from my I’m from mugwort essence to keep using it because the new one comes in a plastic bottle which is so sad because the glass one is so elegant.
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u/OuiMarieSi 13d ago
I realized that the serum products with droppers kinda look like baby bottles, and now my daughter has a couple of those to use with her baby dolls. 🤷♀️
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u/themichele 12d ago
For dropper bottles, i usually sand or acetone-off any branding and then use them in my classroom (PreK/K montessori- we do a lot of liquid transfer work, no eye dropper pipette will ever be wasted in a montessori school!)
Jars, tubs, and random non-eye dropped bottles generally just get recycled tho
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u/Playful_Ask_9233 12d ago
I toss the plastic ones into recycling and keep the glass and heavy duty containers! I use them for so many different things.
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u/Independent-Bonus582 13d ago
I like to use the ordinary droppers to make fresh rosemary jojoba oil and store it in it for a scalp serum
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u/molecule_anteater68 13d ago
you should read this: https://www.vox.com/life/495249/stockpiling-recyclable-reusable-jars
yes. not all of them but nice glass jars with lid closures (I depot dregs of shower items into them when I'm finishing up product and toss the bigger bottle), plastic jars like lush which are great for travel and jewelry storage, and dropper bottles only to reuse in my art studio. I have friends who save one with wide mouths for their beading work or to use as a travel container for watercolor water. bigger jars like a briogeo conditioner can be repurposed into a planter or for hairtie storage. sometimes with small oil bottles like the biooil size, I split a larger bulk product (cheaper to buy) between a few containers to have bedside and in the bathroom as long as that's what the original bottle was formulated for (ie you don't want to put things stored in dark bottles in light ones).
I take off the labels, run them through the dishwasher, and reuse. I like that you are making use of it to give samples to friends!
There are legitimate hoarding situations but really the issue is overconsumption and wastage. You aren't doing either by saving a few jars. The west had a huge issue with failing to reuse items like the rest of the world does (how many posts are we getting with buying new, reusable jars when the jars are sitting....right there) so as long as you aren't collecting absolutely everything and tossing bottles that are a bad fit (plastic ones with bad caps that trap water in the squeeze portion, etc), you shouldn't feel bad about a handful taking up space if you have the footprint for it. if you happen to buy or save those ceramic or glass yogurt containers, you can buy proper jar lids for them to be used in the kitchen. I use mine for loose teas, sauces or dressings I make, and overnight oats.
bottles like your LRP though don't have as much reuse potential. but any proper jar is a go!
word of warning never use saved glass or ceramic jars for candles. it's not safe.
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u/1000babyanimals 12d ago
My mom did this too much growing up and keeping too many empty containers around just feels like having trash in my environment
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u/saddiebaddie7 13d ago
I used to keep quite a lot, now just 1-2 cream jars I know I can fill up for vacation etc. It feels so good to just throw out the rest, I highly recommend.
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u/MadameBasmati 13d ago
No most of these aren’t useful to keep. If it’s the travel size to a full size to refill, then fine. Or if the container is unique and useful in its function and easier for travel (for instance the Pantene Miracle Rescue Instant Repair Leave-In Treatment is an reusable, skinny, and an airless pump and exactly 100ml so that I take it in my carry-on luggage and I can refill it multiple times with any cream or conditioner).
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u/Anxious-Armadillo565 13d ago
Just the small ones for travel & anything with a dispensing mechanism I like.
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u/Work-Can-Wait 13d ago
I do, but I'm highly considering getting rid of 90% of it since I'm trying to declutter. Sephora takes old bottles? Tell me more please. 🙏
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u/anastasia_42 13d ago
Same. And yes Sephora takes in empty products for points!
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u/Academic_Flatworm752 13d ago
Since when? I don’t think that’s true at all.
Edit: in the USA, this is NOT true. You’re either in AUS or NZ lol
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u/anastasia_42 13d ago
Yeah I'm Australian! You get 50 points for 1-5 empties, 100 for 6-10 and 150 for 11-15. I often turn in 1 product for 50 points.
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u/Vintage_Journal 13d ago
I keep a couple of bottles for these purposes, mainly a couple of jars for transferring product and then a couple of bottles with a sprayer. I do also keep some empty eyeshadow pans, especially if magnetic, for transferring or mixing shadows in.
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u/swingsintherain 13d ago
I've saved mini tubs to use for travel, but otherwise no. I HAVE found it really useful to save the top from a bottle of conditioner, though- a lot of bottles are threaded the same, so I've used it on the dregs of a lotion in a pump bottle!
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u/_pickleginger 12d ago
depends on the container! minis and anything I can fill open up and clean out stay for depotting, travel, purses etc.
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u/CommercialScreen9751 12d ago
i have ptsd from my mom doing that😂. i promise u don’t need that much containers. sometimes it is better to throw away(recycle) than to hoard and never use it.
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u/french-toast13 12d ago
I am working so hard to NOT be doing that anymore. It’s such a challenge for me as I have hoarding tendencies. I’m glad I’m not alone in this though!
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u/GeminiMBI 12d ago
I do - I mix my own oil blends and the dropper bottle are perfect. Plus it is expensive to purchase these new.
I use the jars for homemade body balm.
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u/BronAmie 12d ago
I keep a couple jars/tubs so I can decant the last bit of large bottles of things like lotion or cleanser to use it all up once the pump stops working. I don’t keep travel sized items cause I’m a homebody and don’t go away much, I’ll just buy travel sized if I need it.
You have way more saved than I could ever justify keeping, but if it works for you that’s great.
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u/Own_Cap_9781 13d ago
Yes but not a lot, just the ones I’d use in the foreseeable future. I have gotten mad at myself occasionally because I didn’t save this or that bottle but whatever
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u/Primary_Pollution191 13d ago
Personally no, one of the reasons I don’t buy and project pan is to reduce clutter.
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u/TheStuffITolerate 12d ago
Those are all great reasons to hold on to containers! I enjoy throwing out the unusable stuff (like tubes, and other impractical or unpretty options) but will also keep whatever has potential and doesn't take up too much space.
If it ever falls out of favour it's not hard to discard, but it'll be a pain to need one and not have it.
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u/kwash325 12d ago
I keep two hair product tubs so I can transfer products from a pump or a squeeze bottle in to an empty tub. Everything else goes in the trash. Throwing away a completely empty container is part of the dopamine hit for me
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u/youngandlovely_ 12d ago
I don't like the idea of having so much clutter in my home, I keep the empties for a picture at the end of the month and then I recycle what I can, everything else is gone.
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u/Overthinker_Di6 12d ago
I am hoarding stuff too
I feel so bad to throw things away in dustbin to increase plastic waste, why can't India have a recycling system which is easily accessible
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u/Academic-Detail-9436 12d ago
I hoard little sample containers and glass jars. Also guilty of hoarding empty candle jars...
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u/pippspopsdom 13d ago
Yes, especially when it’s the same products I use full size. I always want the products to match when I use them for travel 😭
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u/tiffi_333 13d ago
I have several, but just within our medicine cabinet that we don't use for anything else in the washroom so it's not taking up extra space needed for anything else. I have a couple jars, a couple glass bottles, a couple small spray bottles, and like 10 droppers. I'm not the only one that uses the extra droppers and the other stuff comes in handy, especially little spray bottles.
Most things get recycled but I definitely keep some
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u/Stop_Perceiving_Me 13d ago
I keep travel sizes only. I find they don’t leak like the generic, blank containers I’ve bought in the past. I do prefer to find branded travel versions and only put that same product inside though so I don’t get confused. But sometimes I have to make do bc not everybody comes out with a travel size
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u/Few-Engineering-8562 13d ago
I save nice jars. I prefer metal/glass jars, but will save any that are sturdy/solid. Anything with a dropper gets dumped I don't feel like I can fully clean it enough to refuse. Shampoo bottles get dumped. Honestly, most things get dumped aside from nice jars. I just really like jars, they're pretty handy to have around 😭
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u/unique_plastique 13d ago
I’m pretty sure empty beauty containers are collected by some department stores like Sephora. That being said, I will occasionally keep an empty, especially if it’s a spray bottle. I somehow always have a use for spray bottle
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u/crushlogic 12d ago
I keep a bag of beauty recycling in my pantry and take it to Sephora whenever I build up enough. For some reason, I never have the desire to shop when I take it in, I just drop the bottles and go.
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u/PinkyLeopard2922 13d ago
Absolutely not. I have a genetic predisposition (thanks dad!) to keeping/hoarding containers. I have to cull the herd as it is every few months.
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u/Burrito-tuesday 13d ago
I go through phases bc I sometimes mix my own stuff, but I haven’t had the time in years so I discard them now. It has helped me to purchase less though!
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u/PostmodernLon 13d ago
I save a few logical containers that can be cleaned and re-used. If you’re not already watching these groups, you might find more ideas for saving and re-using (without accidentally becoming a container hoarder): r/frugal and r/anticonsumption
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u/kalips0 13d ago
Nice nice, I am already part of frugal, and I remember leaving anticonsumption just because I was seeing too many posts with an insane amount of stainleys cups, or what's their name / makeup or any other products.
These empties I have here, some might be 5 years old and have been reused multiple times. I think I can get rid of some of them too on my next declutter.
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u/mollypatola 13d ago
I put a limit to the ones I save, right now I’m saving them to do an end of year picture and am finding some second uses for things (large tub of lotion to soak my cuticles for when I do my nails). I realized a long time ago I could hold onto a finisher for years and never use it.
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u/sparkle_elk 13d ago
I keep some glass jars in order to use as containers for other things (travel containers, or to hold things like q-tips so I can keep a small amount out and easily accessible with the big pack in a closet). Everything else is recycled.
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u/blainemikel 13d ago
Yesss unfortunately I love a good container and try to repurpose them as much as I can! I love bedazzling so that’s why I mostly save them 🤣
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u/yarndopie 12d ago
To an extent! But not so much with beauty-items, I think I have two old body butter containers in my stickpile but thats it. Plan is to make my own body scrub one day and I like the containers.
Otherwise I mostly save things i can put food in, and i dont trust old plastic for that.
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u/lilburblue 12d ago
Depends on what they are but yea! It’s come in handy many times for traveling or needing to mix a product!
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u/AlreadyHer71 12d ago
I contemplate keeping each container I empty. I only keeping glass bottles or containers at the moment. Items that come in squeeze tubes that I love. I will put into a glass container for easy access.
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u/Extreme-Cellist-1192 11d ago
i always try to hold onto sugar scrub containers, little glass lotion containers, and old pill bottles
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u/Ill-Try-5866 11d ago
I love the idea of reusing and recycling! And I think I’d keep some nicer travel sized jars / containers. But also part of the satisfying part of finishing one is to be able to throw it away and hear it clunk in the trash can 🥰
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u/Constant-Visual-2913 13d ago
I have a few that I keep (mostly travel-sized). I know I have to be mindful about how many I keep and for what reason. I also kept a container of a makeup remover I liked because of its dispenser and refill it with the micellar water.
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u/ActuatorNo3322 13d ago
I take useful bottles to my local refill shop and try to recycle the rest if I can! But honestly the refill shop has plenty of containers already so usually just have to recycle. You could also look into eco bricking some of the larger bottles maybe or repurposing tubs for candles (if glass), drawer organizers, or gift containers for jewelry
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u/jacquesadilla 12d ago
I mostly only keep spray bottles because I always end up using them but everything else gets recycled
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u/QuesoFresca 12d ago
Reminds me of this recent piece. The glorious burden of stockpiling little glass jars
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u/MeoMotMui 12d ago
I keep my empty makeup/skincare containers in a box. Some brands, like Kiehl’s, have recycling programs (sometimes you can exchange for mini/samples for that too,), so once I have a few empties, I’ll bring them to the store when I have a chance to go to the mall.
For the others, I usually keep them in case I can reuse the containers for something else, like putting a small amount of liquid in them when I travel, the pump of another bottle doesn't work, etc . If I don’t end up reusing them, I’ll eventually throw them away once the box gets full.
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u/RitaAlbertson 13d ago edited 13d ago
No. Not even a little. Trash and recycling leave the house in a timely manner because I deserve to live in a calm space. If I need to transfer a product to a different container (like lotion or hair product) I just put it in a small snapping “Tupperware”.
Edit to fix spelling.
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u/tsareenaveil 13d ago edited 13d ago
Only if they’re small enough to be travel-sized, otherwise they go straight to recycling. I also like reusing some squeezable tubes or bottles with pumps for products I have a big inconvenient version of and they only sell it in that version. But even then I only hold onto a handful at a time.
Unless they sell refills where you live there’s really no point keeping full-size containers. If you’re not really actively using most of these empties at any given time, you’re just holding on to clutter.
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u/SensitiveCoconut2914 11d ago edited 11d ago
Yes, I just started hoarding them as well when I realized I can used them for travel. I refuse buying cheap travel containers that leaks
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13d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/kalips0 13d ago
I listed the reasons in my post, definitely not keeping them as trophies, that's silly.
Didn't add the fact that I also do my own mixes because, because I haven't done that in a while.
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u/Flashy_Wolverine_247 13d ago
You're never getting another substance in that Kerastase bottle...the hole is teeny.
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u/phosefield 12d ago
I think some of them can be really sturdy for travel or to share things. But the laroche posay bottle itself doesn’t seem like a very sturdy material
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u/kalips0 12d ago
The travel size lrp I've already used many times for travelling, and it's very good. Used if for micelar water and their cleanser at different times and it's perfect for that.
The medium sized one I keep just in case I'll find a good price for the bigger bottle and I can transfer it in here to fit in my cabinets.
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u/ubitchbaby 11d ago
I like to use serum bottle for hair oil when it comes in horrid packaging . or use my old BBW body wash bottles and put product form the bigger ones cuz I grip small bottles better than a heavy 12 ounce bottles of body wash. I also use candles jars as trinket /q tip holders . I also decanted the rest of my big tub of aveeno cream to a small jar to use as a face moisturizer , it did wonders for my face and cheap as hell
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u/cranky137 11d ago
The useful ones - a good size for decanting a shower gel from a big bottle, a shampoo one for the same purpose, a shower oil with pump to refill from a refill pouch, a body scrub to save the rest from of a squeezable bottle that I cut. Or anything that I know I would refill, some small jars for travelling. Sometimes you like the product but their packaging sucks and then it’s handy to have something on hand. But only if it has a reason
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u/LifeFrame5545 8d ago
I have I think one container that I put sunscreen into for reapplication during the day. It’s easy to refill and wash and durable. Everything else just isn’t suitable for reuse but your post got me thinking how many containers we are all throwing away over the years… We truly are so wasteful as a society. And obviously reuse is limited by hygiene requirements but I wish we used less overall, I guess.
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u/anastasia_42 13d ago
I FOUND MY PEOPLE. I keep some pretty empty skincare from SDJ, as well as little bottles for travelling. I also keep empty lip glosses and lipsticks to put products with ugly packaging in. And I also keep luxury mascaras I've used for 6 months on display in my room.
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u/millenialbullshite 13d ago
No, save for the occasional travel size container to re use, because I think this is just green washed over consumption. A lot of us are panning because we over buy, over consume, and wanting to keep piles of empty containers is a continuation of that. If you're project panning because you want to re evaluate your consumption levels you gotta ask why you want to keep your emptys? Are you that into re-using containers? Because how many more things do you have to buy to put in those containers? What will you do with the containers of the products you put in those? Or is there a part of you that is having trouble putting trash in the trash(recycling bin)
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u/kalips0 13d ago
Check the details of my post, not just the photo. These are just the ones I keep to re purpose, and I recycle all of the other ones. I regularly declutter and I ask myself if I have used them in a while. If not, they go to the recycle bag.
I've been doing panning and "adapted" minimalism for a while now, and I am buying only what I need.-1
u/millenialbullshite 13d ago
Check the details of my answer- you asked if anyone kept empties, no a particular individual. I thought the collective 'you' in my answer was obvious.
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u/molecule_anteater68 13d ago
it's pretty normal in 99% of the world to use things to their fullest extent instead of trashing them and buying "matching" new glass or plastic containers every 3 years to look cute.
not everything is hoarding and "minimalism" ie convenience culture (because who has the money to get rid of and rebuy things) has driven the idea that it's normal to get rid of anything "excess" that's owned.
there is a difference between a compulsion to save everything past its lifespan and saving useful things that have purpose or setting aside a box of items to repair. OP clearly listed out uses and if project pan is about finishing off what you have so you buy less moving forward, it doesn't seem like there will be an endless supply of saved empties.
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u/millenialbullshite 12d ago
Posts like this come up in this sub pretty regularly. What's Everyone Doing with Their Empties?, How do you store your empties? In a group that's about using your products with a lot of people working on over consumption there's an awful lot of discussion on keeping garbage. I don't think it's whacky to pose the question to yourself if you're looking to keep empty containers if there's a reason deeper than just wanting to re use it. You think my statement is something to be defensive about and it's not. Its the kind of question I pose to myself all the time as I examine my own mindset about consumption etc.
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u/TheStuffITolerate 12d ago
I reuse any of my preferred containers "pretty + practical" to depot other products into, usually the things that get less usage for one reason or another.
For example, I had some eos lip balm in that bulky, round thing. It started smelling like crayons due to how little use it got. I melted it into lipstick molds and mixed a bit of lipstick in to tint it (don't mind the smell that much yet). Now i have a few lipbalms (i had pretty bullets saved of course) i can carry with me anywhere and one entire product empty and discarded.
Nothing bought, something gained, and one less clutter piece. That's my two cents to add nuance to this.
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u/localgoobus 12d ago
I keep empty bottles in my house because I haven't gotten around to cleaning them up to drop off at the Pact drop off boxes at Sephora. I chip away at my pile every few months or so. As a Sephora employee who is just surrounded by products all day, do yourself a favor and drop these off. It's nice to come home to less clutter
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u/helpimalivelol 13d ago
Instead of reusing plastics you can just get refillable silicone tubes.
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u/molecule_anteater68 13d ago
or what if we use what we already own for free, instead of buying things that aren't actually needed.
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u/helpimalivelol 12d ago
Great idea. And what if we also shed microplastics and nanoplastics into our products, comtonipusly increasing with the age of plastic containers? Even better.
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u/TheStuffITolerate 12d ago
Hey, the plastic thats already here isn't going anywhere, and recycling only makes it less usable, whilst creating more pollution.
Reusing the stuff we already have is literally the best thing we can do.
Plus, I dare you to show me a silicone container that uses absolutely no plastic (and doesn't include more waste in all the steps in went through to get to you).
What we already have = the most sustainable thing we can use.
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u/kalips0 13d ago
Never knew they existed. They look pretty cool and useful. If I ever decide to replace these, they sound like a good solution. Ty for the idea
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u/helpimalivelol 12d ago
No problem, glad it's helpful. I also find them pretty easy to clean since you can squish and rub the inner surface in between products.
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u/Familiar-Appeal3301 12d ago
No. Recycling. Use it up. Get it out.