9 Useful Ways To Reuse Containers From Costco

Buying food in bulk can result in a lot of packaging waste, so Costco customers are always seeking creative and sustainable ways to repurpose the packages from the products they buy at the big box retailer. Costco's packaging is typically durable and generously sized, and some are surprisingly attractive, so it's easy to give them a second life in your home. That large pretzel tub or cashew jar can store pantry staples, organize craft supplies, protect camping gear, or even double as décor with minimal effort.

After a quick rinse and a soak to remove the label, your containers can be transformed into storage solutions, cleaning tools, or serving dishes. Whether you're trying to cut back on waste, save money on storage solutions, or simply love a good life hack, these clever reuse ideas prove that some of Costco's best finds aren't just the products, but the containers themselves.

Among Costco's extensive array of nuts are these Kirkland Signature cashews that come in 38-ounce containers. The jars are made of glass and have a wide mouth, so they can be reused as storage for tons of things around the house. Customers have a hard time simply throwing the jars away when they're done because they're actually quite aesthetically pleasing.

Use some soap and warm water to wash off the label of the Kirkland brand cashews, and then use the beautiful glass jar for whatever storage you need. If you have room in your pantry, you can use it to keep dry beans, pasta, cereal, or flour. One customer on Reddit explains that they repurpose it for dog treats. Another customer on Facebook jokes that you could cross out the "ews" on the "Cashews" label and use it as a piggy bank. All jokes aside, though, the options are truly endless for repurposing these containers. The jar would even make a beautiful vase for flowers.

Costco sells a couple single-serve dessert products that come in individual glass cups. According to a Costco member on TikTok, "if it's in a glass container it gets kept." For instance, the popular tiramisu cups, which are among the best chocolate desserts at Costco, come in 3-ounce glass jars that can be used in several ways around the house. Customers online have actually bonded over the creative ways they've repurposed them. 

If you're crafting a delicious charcuterie board spread, you can use the cups to hold condiments, dips, or nuts. Another customer has taken advantage of the small single-serve size of the glasses to create individual shrimp cocktails. Some more obvious utilizations include reusing the glasses as a single-serve dessert once again, using them as espresso cups, or even as children's cups. Outside of the kitchen, you can turn them into homemade candle-holders or propagate plant clippings.

In true Costco Fashion, it sells peanut butter pretzels in impossibly large plastic containers, and if you ever manage to actually get through that many pretzels, the jars should not be thrown out right away. Instead, consider all the creative ways in which you can use those massive 55-ounce containers for storage in and outside of the kitchen. While the large size and wide lids of these fan-favorite peanut butter pretzels certainly make them effective for keeping dried pantry goods, customers share some other unique storage applications on Reddit.

You can use them for seasonal storage, like Christmas ornaments, or for garage tools, like screws and nails. One Costco shopper on Reddit states that their family likes to use the pretzel jug for camping supplies. They explain, "We reuse the large PB pretzel tub to store our camping silverware/tongs/ladle etc. works great-keeps everything in one easy to find place and keeps them clean." Another creative application of these large plastic jugs is to store wood chips for the grill or smoker. Even the plastic lids can be repurposed as plant trays.

It's not only the containers that your food comes in that can be repurposed. Costco actually reuses the cardboard boxes that their bulk products are shipped into the warehouse to pack your groceries in at checkout. The prepackaged snacks, produce, and other grocery items come in boxes of all shapes and sizes. Customers online have identified some ways in which you can reuse these boxes again when you bring them home.

Use them to store toys, sports equipment, or gardening supplies that you keep outside. Or, you can keep your wood stacked in them for the next time you build a bonfire. They might not be the most aesthetically pleasing containers, but they are great for outdoor or garage storage because you don't have to worry about them getting dirty or damaged. Some customers even recommend just keeping one or two of these boxes in your car to easily transport your groceries into the house.

Some of Costco's cold cuts, like its sliced turkey, come in large plastic containers that customers like to clean out and reuse for non-food storage. One customer on Facebook explains that her family uses the containers for arts and crafts supplies and toy storage for her kids. She notes that the containers are conveniently stackable, so if you regularly buy the sliced turkey, you can collect and stack the containers to save storage space.

Obviously, these plastic tubs can also be used for food storage and leftovers, though you might not want to microwave them since they're plastic. They're also a great item to keep on hand as a giveaway container. The next time you make a batch of cookies for a friend, or bring something to a dinner party, and don't want them to worry about getting the container back to you, use one of these.

Costco carries the popular Kraft grated Parmesan cheese in 24-ounce plastic bottles. Once you've polished off the Parmesan, these shakers can be reused for really any powdered product with a similar consistency. Customers have reused the cheese shakers for things like cornstarch, cinnamon, powdered sugar, or baking soda. Or, use them in the laundry room for powdered Oxi-Clean, fabric softener, and more, because the holes in the lid make it easy to sprinkle the product without using too much.

But, what most shoppers might be surprised to discover is that you can give the lids to those cheese shakers their very own second life as well. In a video on TikTok, one mom states, "Don't throw out these lids!" The lids actually perfectly fit on mason jars so secure the lid on a jar that is the size you need for spice storage or even as a container for kids' snacks. In fact, there are tons of ways you can use mason jars around the kitchen.

Not only is Costco's Super Premium Vanilla Ice Cream one of the most popular Kirkland Signature products of all time, but the half-gallon buckets that the ice cream comes in can be repurposed for storage and cleanup around the house. In the lifestyle blog, "One Good Thing", Jillee shares the ways she reuses ice cream pails: "I find it virtually impossible to throw these versatile plastic buckets away! They're handy for corralling collections of items like seasonal cookie cutters and small toys."

She also shares that she kept one of these in the car for potential motion sickness vomiting episodes when her kids were little. Outside of the organization, it's great to have a couple of these buckets around the house for cleaning as well. If you need to soak out a stain, filling the bucket with warm, soapy water and some Oxi-Clean should do the trick.

At Costco, M&Ms come in a 62-ounce plastic jar, and if you ever manage to finish all those chocolates, don't throw away the container. Instead, use the jar as dry storage in an ice chest or cooler. If you have some food items that you want to keep cool and dry, put them in the M&Ms jar in the cooler. The container will keep the items dry and protected. This can be useful for more fragile items, like sandwiches, which might get squished outside of the container.

One customer shares on YouTube that he likes to store his protein bars, candy bars, and cheese sticks in the container when he's going on camping trips or to spend the day on the lake. This way, you can avoid the water from the melting ice at the bottom of the cooler from getting into the packaging of your food products. No one wants a soggy Snickers bar.

The Kirkland Signature butter croissants are a fan favorite Costco bakery item, but it's a shame to toss out those large plastic containers that the flaky pastries come in. One Costco member on Reddit recommends repurposing the containers as leafy green storage in your fridge to keep them from spoiling quickly, especially if they are originally sold in a plastic bag.

The best way to keep your greens from spoiling prematurely is to store them in a dry plastic container lined with a paper towel. The paper towel will absorb any excess moisture that might make the greens rot faster than they should. Plus, the hard sides of the plastic container will protect the greens from being squished and damaged like they would in a bag in the fridge. If you're a gardener, Redditors also recommend using the croissant container as a starter greenhouse if you poke a few holes in the lid.