Ways on How to Organise Plastic Storage Containers

Last Updated on January 18, 2023

For many of us, storage container items tend to get mixed up and become unorganised in the cabinet or drawer. Luckily, there are several affordable ways to sort out both glass and plastic storage containers to get rid of this clutter. This article will teach you how to organise plastic storage containers in 5 simple steps.

As it turns out, you don’t have to be a professional organiser to maximise space and get your food storage containers organised. You need time and a few simple tips about getting the most out of your particular storage space and your food storage container inventory. You’ll be surprised you may not even need any additional supplies.

How to Organise Plastic Storage Containers: Simple Step-By-Step Instructions and Ideas

We listed down five easy steps to establish your storage organisation skills.

Step 1: Gather All of Your Storage Containers

The first step to getting organised is to pull all your food containers out of their drawer or cabinet. When it comes to organisation, you always want to start with a space. You can better visualize the storing method later on and get the most out of your kitchen storage space.

Pro Tip: While it is empty, take a moment to clean the inside of your cabinet or drawer. If you are like us, this rarely gets done in your household, so you may as well take the opportunity while you have easy access. Organising always comes hand in hand with cleaning, so hitting two birds with one stone is excellent.

Step 2: Make Sure Every Container Has a Lid

Now that all of your food storage containers have been pulled out of their cabinet or drawer, we recommend you make sure each container has a matching lid. After all, you don’t want to go through the hassle of organising incomplete containers, right? This is the first step to minimizing your collection, making this process much easier overall.

Pro Tip: If you find you have extra lids or containers, you may be able to repurpose them for other things like paint trays or craft buckets. Otherwise, toss out, recycle, or donate any containers that don’t have matching lids and any food storage lids that don’t have matching containers.

Step 3: Toss Out Unneeded Containers

Next, determine if you want to keep all of your remaining food storage containers. Do you use all of them? Do you have pack lunches frequently? Do you typically have leftovers that need a container? Consider how many storage containers are reasonable for you and your home and downsize as needed.

Pro Tip: We recommend you take this time to toss out any opaque plastic containers that prevent you from seeing the contents, like ones you may have recycled from yoghurt or other food packaging. It is easier to see leftovers in clear containers, making it more likely that you will eat them before they expire.

Step 4: Sort the Containers by Size

To officially start the organisation process, sort all your food storage containers and lids by size. We like storing lids separately from our containers because it helps conserve a significant amount of space. You can stack the containers and condense the lids into a small space with separate lids.

Pro Tip: You may also want to sort glass containers and plastic containers separately. This will give you a more uniform look when the organising job is done. It will also help you locate specific containers faster when you need them.

Step 5: Organise and Position the Containers

Now that you have everything stacked and sorted, there are many ways to organise food storage containers, find a way that makes sense for your particular storage space. Try shifting items around in the space to see what works best for you. Try multiple configurations until you are sure you have got it right.

There are several ways to organise your lids as well. We like to store them vertically to save space, but you probably need an inexpensive storage solution, like a dish drying rack, to get the job done. You could always place them inside other leftover Tupperware containers that are missing their lid or a small box like the bottom of a cut-up cereal box.

In drawers, you may be able to use a simple divider; tension rods are another clever solution that you can use inside a drawer to help keep all the lids together and organised in an upright position. If you have enough space, you may have a go at using a magazine holder.

Pro Tip: You could also clip a basket to the back of a cabinet door to hold all of your lids. While this requires an additional piece of equipment, it can save you a lot of room inside the cabinet when needed. You can find these baskets in office storage departments or kitchen storage departments. They are designed to be thin and come out at an angle, so it is easy to grab the items within without the basket taking up a lot of internal space or interfering with how the cabinet door works.

Your Storage Container Questions Answered

What Is the Best Way to Organise Plastic Containers?

The best way to organise storage containers depends on where you are storing them and how many you need to store. With this in mind, there is no one best way to organise food storage containers. Don’t let this discourage you, though. All this means is that you may have to experiment while finalising all your containers’ organised positions.

Try out one configuration and even if it looks good, try out one or two more to make sure it is the ideal option. You may be surprised: often, the first configuration people try is not the best one possible.

The best option for you will be the one that utilises the space best and makes it easy to grab the containers you need.

How Do You Declutter Plastic Containers?

Clutter, where you keep your food storage containers, is common. Considering how often you probably pull items out of this area and put them back, it is easy for the containers and lids to become cluttered, especially if you don’t have a good system in place for the start.

Aside from organising your food storage containers, the best way to declutter your collection is to toss out any rarely used or unwanted items. As we discussed above, getting rid of containers without lids or lids without containers is a great place to start.

Food Storage Organisation Made Easy

Now that you know how to organise plastic storage containers and how easy it truly can be, what are you waiting for? All you have to do is empty your collection of containers, sort through them, and organise them in an easily accessible manner.

It won’t take much time, and now that you have some helpful ideas, you should be more than ready to get started. Which method will you use? Would help from dividers or tension rods be helpful? Or, would a small box for lids be all you need to get the job done?

We’re excited to know your thoughts or suggestions. Let us know what you think in the comments below.