8 Ways to Repurpose Plastic Cups Before Recycling Them

We must come to terms with the fact that plastic is not recycled, even recyclable, the way it is presented. Bio-plastic is not a viable solution as it is neither recyclable nor does it biodegrade the way we are often led to believe. For the most part, plastic is plastic and is heading for the landfill.

Even for those who hold out hope that recycling will work, repurposing/reusing plastic as many times as possible is still a good idea. OGP has lots of great articles about repurposing trash and recyclables, stuff like plastic bottles and clothing. So, it seems time to add plastic cups to that list.

Plastic cups can be tough to avoid altogether these days. Lots of restaurants and breweries serve outdoor sitters in plastic only. It gets out to you that way, and it’s too late. That’s a plastic cup, and it has to be dealt with. What to do?

Seed starters

Hopefully, most readers out there are also gardening, growing a bit of food at home. Some veggies love to be started indoors and in safety, so saving plastic cups to use as seed starters is a great idea. They’ll get those young cukes, squashes, okra, tomatoes, greens, and so on so that they are nice and strong when put in the garden bed.

Mini-Greenhouses

For those who have used those plastic cups as seed starters, they can be great for keeping those young seedlings safe for their first days in the garden. Simply take the clear plastic cup (with a few holes in the bottom) and put it over the seedling to act like a mini-greenhouse. This is an awesome method for keeping slugs and other pests away while the plant gets bigger.

Plant Pots

Larger plastic cups, like those “big gulp” type cups, can easily be converted into long-term plant pots as well. They can either be painted or decorated on the outside to look a bit more attractive. Better yet, put them together in a wooden box and leave them as is. Then, plastic cups can be great containers for growing an herb garden or mixed flowers.

Organizers

Any kind of container is great for getting those screws, nails, and bolts sorted out in the garage. Plastic cups can work, too. They can work for organizing all sorts of small stuff: materials for crafting, accessories for the kids’ hair, pocket change, and whatever else fits. They can be spruced up by putting them in a pretty box or funked up in a cardboard six-pack holder for bottles.

Paint Holders

Plastic cups can be really handy for painters. They are great containers for holding any type of paint, perfect for doing trim work where not a lot of paint is needed. The paint can be allowed to dry or washed out, and the cup can be reused several times. Or, if not, at least that cup has 1/ gotten another use before being tossed and 2/ prevented the painter from buying a container (probably plastic) to hold the paint.

DIY Luminaries

An LED tea light can be safely put into a clear plastic cup to make a luminary display. The cup can be covered with painted designs or tissue paper with cut-outs. Or, the cup can be decorated with bows, ribbons, and so on. These are great for holiday decorations.

Birdfeeders

Watching the birds around the yard is great fun and entertaining, and in the wintertime, a birdfeeder can help those birds find something good to eat. A plastic cup with three or four holes at the rim can be hung with some string from a tree branch or the eaves. Another cool repurposing feature is to take a couple of straws and feed them through the top of the cup to act like perches for the little birds when they visit.

Cups Again

Of course, for a little while, plastic cups can simply be used as plastic cups again. This is especially true for refills (bring it back to the bar with you and ask to reuse it). They can be washed a few times, and maybe work as a to-go cup at home should the need arise.

Related Content:

• 5 Ways to Repurpose Hundreds of Plastic Bottles with One Project
• How to Repurpose Plastic for The Times We Just Can’t Avoid It
• 9 Ideas for Making Cool Porch Rails with Repurposed and Found Objects
• How to Make Your Own Tea Lights from Repurposed Materials
• 8 Repurposed Items to Make Cool Shelves

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade repeatedly.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!