Mom shares hack for getting more use out of a common grocery staple–a parmesan cheese lid

This story was written by Roberto Guerra and originally appeared on The Cool Down.

An Instagrammer is showing the world some creative things to do with used lids instead of throwing them out.

Christina, who also goes by Fab Mama Finds (@fabmamafinds) on Instagram, posted a reel that explains what she does with her used lids.  

“The tops fit perfectly!” she says passionately.

The scoop

Fab Mama begins the video by showing viewers a Mason jar and a plastic parmesan cheese container. She removes the top from the plastic container and screws it onto the glass jar while telling us how the lid can be used in numerous ways. 

“They have little holes for straws,” she says while pointing to the lid right after attaching it to the Mason jar. “Then you can actually use your Mason jars for cool things … don’t throw these away,” she concludes as she taps on the lid. 

How it’s helping

Saving plastic lids for reuse is a highly effective way of reducing plastic waste. 

About 40 million tons of plastic get thrown out each year in the U.S. alone. Of that, only about 5% gets recycled, while 85% ends up in landfills. A significant portion ends up in our oceans, harming marine wildlife and lasting for decades before breaking down.

Simple hacks for saving plastic lids like the one shown by Christina can go a long way when it comes to keeping plastic out of landfills and away from our oceans.

What everyone’s saying

The comments section of the Instagram reel became quite a busy place after Fab Mama showed the world what they can do with those plastic lids. 

Christina herself wrote, “Finally have a purpose for keeping these…Hoarders Unite!”

There was also praise from viewers and comments such as “You are a lifesaver.”

Another person mentioned how “Peanut butter lids fit them too.”

Someone else mentioned how “It’s actually better to drink from those glass jars that let light in too. Great idea. Thank you for sharing. I didn’t know about these lids.”

“I keep one full of baking soda next to my sink for when I need to scrub dishes… baking soda & dish soap paste gets everything off,” another person added.

This story was written by Roberto Guerra and originally appeared on The Cool Down.