OK, pantry ordered and organised. Time to turn elsewhere in the kitchen.
I took a deep breath and ventured into my plastics’ cupboard.
Who knew how many items were contained within. Even more esoteric would be the knowledge of that subset of plastics: unusable and incomplete. How many bowls without matching lids? How many lids without bases? How many damaged items lay in this tangled mess?
What was clear was if everything was taken out, no way would they fit back in if lids were put on containers and then stacked on each other. The only way everything could be contained within the cupboard was if bowls were stacked inside other bigger bowls, square containers in bigger square containers, lids store altogether in a couple of containers.
First to go: plastics that have shrunk in dishwasher, containers with heat damage, lids without bases.
The dead and broken are easily dealt with. But do we really need so many plastic items?
So off to the op shop are plastic items we don’t use: cereal containers from when kids ate lots of different breakfast cereals, chopping board, ice block maker, ice cube tray. All perfectly good but not needed by me at this point in my life.
Some items were repurposed and repositioned in the house. Mr S needed a new scoop for the chlorine in there pool. I have just the thing. A part from a lettuce spinner.
Everything that went back in the cupboard had to go with the lid attached. No more hunting through the deep reaches, no more pulling everything out to find the right lid.
And by stacking everything with it’s lid on means that we can fit far fewer items back in the cupboard.
We still probably have too many items. But I plan on buying no more. Ever. For the rest of my life. Which may have 3o to 40 years left. So that’s not too bad.
lucinda sans 
I bought several sets of glass storage containers with plastic lids. The lids were supposed to be microwave and dishwasher safe; they weren’t. Under normal use, they all cracked or split. There are replacement lids available on the company’s website but only the same poor-quality product, with outrageous shipping fees. I haven’t found any other company that makes the right size lids. I tried using Abeego wraps as lids but wasn’t happy with them. I think the manufacturer of the glass containers probably wants us to throw them out and buy more. I have been using them when I can with a plate on top etc. but eventually I suppose I’ll need to buy another brand of glass container with better lids – there seem to be some out there. For small amounts of things, I have taken to using canning jars. I do have lots of plastic containers still and I plan to wear them out; I store them with the lids on, too!
What a bugger it is when some parts don’t last as long as others. Plastic is so useful for food storage, transport and heating but it just doesn’t last.
In my shock at the pantry moths yesterday, I forgot to comment on how insanely neat your pantry is. And now the plastics! My plastics drawers (I have 2) are an unholy jumble at the moment. I store lids separate as well but despite the best intentions, it leads to anarchy quickly.
Our local IGA sells new compostable plastic tubs. I bought J a new lunchbox yesterday. I’m in thrall to the fact that you can literally bury them once they get old and discoloured. They take 18 months approx. to break down once buried. I’m going to slowly swap over from my old plastics. I just like the idea of my plastics being organic enough to degrade in my own lifetime.
Are you going to do an experiment with the composting plastic. I would be interested in the results. I tried it when they brought out biodegradable plastic bags. They never did rot down.
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