When I could garden, I used those type containers to make alfalfa tea to fertilize plants. Following is the recipe I used, of course cutting down on ingredients for the size container I used.

Here is a recipe for cheap and effective fertilizer! I put it on all new transplants/seedlings/new seeds (instead of the first watering). Liz on the Texas Gardens forums

10 Cups of alfalfa pellets
1 Cup Epsom salts
1 Cup fish emulsion

Put alfalfa in a large garbage can (32 gal size), fill with water and cover for 2 days. On the 3rd day add other ingredients, stir and use!
The roses and veges LOVE it!
hth, Liz

I've freecycled mine when I have more than I can use. People are always looking for containers for bird seed, or something similar to that. Even dry dog or cat food, can be stored in them. Salt/sand containers for the sidewalk.

A worm bin! (vermicomposting.

We have some full of water (for toilet use/washing dishes/etc) in case of an emergency.

They are nice and sturdy, I wish I could put more to use... I usually just recycle them.

Bird food here too. I buy 50lb bags of black oil sunflower seeds at a good price and transfer them to more manageable covered containers that won't attract other critters while its being stored. And the pail type with handles are easy to carry to the feeders.

But I'm still using the ones from cats long gone. Now I buy food in paper bags. Oh,and I have some near the laundry tubs for soaking or cleaning things.

Kitty litter ... after use?

(With a home-made label pasted on to tell which from t'other, of course).

ole joyful

They would be good to use if you were one of the people that makes her own laundy soap, or you could use a funnel and use them for seed or bulk anything, cat food, etc. Fertilizer water for the garden, or plants. Manure tea for the garden. Slow waterer, if you poked a few small holes in the bottom of one and filled it with water and set it by something.

My parents take the tops off the big buckets of Tidy Cat and use them as trays for little projects.

We keep corn for the squirrels in ours and heavens knows we have a lot of buckets with four cats and seven litter boxes.

Container gardening

I put mine out with my town recycling. Someone usually comes along before the truck and takes them. Good, at least someone else can use them.

I've been using the same two for my homemade laundry detergent - for the past five years! Very sturdy!

We, like Lydia, have others filled with non-potable water for emergencies.

Good ideas, all. Thanks so much.

I use some as a weed bucket in the garden. I also use them for potting soil - I can't handle the big bags. They are used extensively in our area for oyster gardening - to tote oysters too and from drop off sites.

Use mine for carrying paint supplies for the big jobs. Even mix different color of paints in them when an idea hits me. And my most used tools so they are at hand or a specific job. For some reason regular tool boxes don't work for me. Also in the garage to separate hinges, plumbing, tape, etc.

Hi again - I do love these ideas. With some of them, though, please remember that the opening on the ones I'm talking about is simply a screw cap that's about 2" across. So they won't work for some of the things being mentioned (including used kitty litter - haha).

I don't buy this brand often, mostly because of the container they use. I find the ones with the top that completely opens (or bends up) much more useful afterward than the ones that I'm referring to here.

OH gaaaaa....I didn't even realize that it wasn't for the bucket style. Apparently I (and everyone else) wasn't paying attention to the original post you made...HAHAHA!

I know the buckets you mean, now Suzie. I must have skipped over that part in the original post.

I have the same problem, the times I bought that style. Other than storing bird seed, etc which I don't do, I have no idea. Storing water, as others mentioned would work. Salt/sand for the sidewalks.

I knew which buckets you meant - and my answer still stands.

:)

Not many people change their own oil anymore but they'd be fine for storing used oil, crankcase and kitchen oil for recycling.

Tops can be cut off and it can be used as a pail or for holding things in the garage. If it's large enough, it can hold a gas can when you fill it so if it sloshes on the way home it won't be all over your car. Make a couple waste baskets for the basement or garage. Or other areas if you're not fussy.

sorry we use the 40lb bagged...and we have a great recycle now...bigger container....dh did reuse a former bird seed container for the biggie we buy at sam's...

what i love are the black trays that come on big veggie trays...i use one for kitty food, cause no matter how hard i tried, she was getting food on the floor....then we both have one for our snow covered boots...used them for paint project, too...

I send mine to the recycle plant. The show Hoarders terrifies me LOL

Do you think that storing water for an extended period that you planned to drink or use for cooking might leach out some of the unpleasant chemicals in the plastic?

I'd want to fill it with water, let it stand for a while, preferably in the hot sun, and use it to flush the toilet about a dozen times before I used it that way, I think.

My landlord buys weed kller in about 4 - 5 gal. jugs and, after rinsing several times and letting stand a while in hot summer sun, I use them to carry water down to the other end of the garden, that I can't reach with the hose. Haven't heard any complaints from the plants, yet - or lost any.

The cucumbers, melons and squash, plus tomatoes, sometimes suffer from blight ... but that's well after they've been watered from the jugs, a number of times.

Suzie, if you were to get a piece of mesh with apertures of about 1/4" or slightly more and fit it into about a 12-18" square frame of wood, with a container to put under it, perhaps you could run the used litter over it and get another use or two out of it? Make a funnel of cardboard, or cut the corner out of a cereal box, or use a margarine/yogurt container to refill the jug.

'Twould be especially helpful if you could train the cat/dog to use one litter box for the one kind of waste and another for the other.

First idea - straight goods.

Second - somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

ole joyful