Absolutely—old plastic plant pots can be surprisingly useful around the house. Instead of throwing them away, clean them well and give them a second life.
10 ingenious ways to reuse old plastic pots
- Make a kitchen-scrap collector
Keep a clean pot beside your cutting board while cooking. Use it to collect vegetable peels, eggshells, coffee grounds, and other compostable scraps. When you’re finished, empty it into your compost bin and rinse the pot. - Turn one into a storage container
Small plastic pots are perfect for organizing screws, nails, washers, craft supplies, buttons, beads, or spare batteries. Label the outside and keep several pots together in a drawer or toolbox. - Create a DIY desk organizer
Paint or decorate a few pots and use them to hold pens, pencils, paintbrushes, scissors, or other stationery. Pots with drainage holes can even be paired with a small tray underneath to catch anything that falls through. - Use them as seed-starting containers
Clean pots make excellent containers for starting seedlings. If the pot doesn’t already have drainage holes, add a few. Fill it with seed-starting mix, plant your seeds, and place the pot on a tray to catch excess water. - Make a drip-watering reservoir
A small pot can help reduce water mess when watering indoor plants. Place it beneath a plant or use it as an inner container so excess water has somewhere to collect. Always empty standing water afterward to prevent root problems and insects. - Organize your garage or workshop
Mount or arrange several sturdy pots on a shelf to create inexpensive bins for nuts, bolts, screws, cable ties, drill bits, and other small hardware. Their tapered shape also makes it easy to scoop items out. - Create a hanging planter
Give a decorative plastic pot a new appearance with paint, fabric, or rope. Add suitable drainage and hang it with a secure planter hanger. Lightweight pots are particularly useful for herbs or small trailing plants. - Make a bathroom organizer
A clean, attractive pot can hold toothbrushes, combs, makeup brushes, hair accessories, or small toiletries. Choose a pot without sharp edges and wash it thoroughly before bringing it into the bathroom. - Use one as a paint or craft container
When doing DIY projects, an old pot can serve as a temporary container for paint, glue, plaster, or other craft materials. Disposable plastic pots are especially convenient when you don’t want to clean a good container afterward—just make sure the material you’re using is compatible with the plastic. - Turn it into a mini household caddy
Larger pots can be surprisingly handy for carrying small items from one room to another. Use one for cleaning supplies, gardening tools, clothespins, sewing materials, or miscellaneous objects that need to be moved around the house.
Before reusing them
Wash pots thoroughly and remove old soil, roots, and plant debris. If a pot has become brittle, cracked, or unusually fragile, don’t use it for anything that could cause a spill or injury. Also avoid using old pots for food storage unless they’re specifically designed and labeled for food contact.
With a little cleaning and creativity, something that would normally go straight into the trash can become a useful organizer, planter, storage bin, or household helper.