31 Days of Decluttering - Day #18 - Plasticware

Plasticware - AKA "Tupperware".  It is my husband and I's nemesis because it always falls out of the kitchen cupboard onto our head.  And every time it does, I hear him yelling "Honey.....!!!".  I went thru it right before Christmas and made a point of sending home leftovers in the margarine containers, Cool-Whip containers, etc. that I had.  There's actually not a ton of it left.  It still needs to be organized again though, so that's what I decided to do today.

Here's the "before" photo:

Here's the action steps according to "From Overwhelmed to Organized":

• Throw away any containers and lids that are damaged, cracked, or warped beyond usability
• Recycle all margarine dishes, yogurt containers, etc. (it's too hard to see what's in them and they tend to lead to science experiments in the fridge... plus you have a steady supply of them if you ever do need them for something specific)
• Match up all your dishes and lids and get rid of any non-matching pieces
• Toss out any containers that are discolored (see this link for an explanation why)
• Give away or donate any containers you have not used in the last 3 months (or use them to organize small items in your craft room or garage!)
• Think about how many containers you actually need and what sizes you use most and purge further if necessary until you meet that goal (e.g. if you have 21 medium sized containers you can probably give away some - you can't even fit that many in your fridge!)
• Consider keeping containers that are all from a particular set so they can stack easily and you can find corresponding lids easily

And here's the "after" photo:

Here's what ended up in the recycling:

I had more to throw away than I thought I did.  It doesn't look like much, but when you have limited cupboard space like I do, every little bit counts.

Next Up:  Toys