Using up plastic until its end

Dear Heloise: Two of your letters in a recent column addressed recycling plastic. Please consider reusing it as well. Small cup-sized plastic containers (such as yogurt containers) can be tub or pool toys for little ones. (Everything is fun when used in the tub, even a ketchup container.) They can also be used in the bathroom for rinsing water when brushing teeth, and they can be used as dispensers for trail mix and other snacks.For larger containers such as those that contain peanut butter and cottage cheese, as well as other taller and narrow containers, freeze water in these and use them in your cooler. There's no mess in the cooler or any food damaged by water, and you can use the melted water for drinking on a car trip or when camping.Use the largest containers (think bulk-sized) to freeze water for blocks of ice. The ice comes out easily and lasts for a long time in a water dispenser. And, of course, use any of these containers for sending things home with others. You don't have to care if it comes back.As another reader mentioned, deli trays and such work well in place of plates or bowls. While I detest all the plastic in the world, using it until its end makes sense. Once you start, the ideas are endless. JoAnne,via email Dear Heloise: I read your column daily for advice. I have been compiling a list of helpful hints that I hope some of your readers might find useful:• Regarding grocery carts, I never place anything in the child seat on grocery carts. I am sure that they are occasionally cleaned, but all I can think of is diaper leakage. As I tell the checkout clerk at places who reloads your items directly back into the cart, this is where children sit, and I was a germaphobe way before COVID.• Regarding unused paint: If you are disposing of extra paint in the trash, please either let it air-dry or mix it with an inexpensive cat litter to speed up the drying process.• Regarding keeping greens fresh for longer: I keep broccoli, lettuce and undressed coleslaw (to name a few vegetables that this would work for) fresh for at least two weeks, if not longer. I clean and cut the items if necessary, place them in a damp — not soggy — paper-towel-lined air-tight container, and then lay another damp paper towel over the top.• For saving water: When brushing my teeth, I only wet the toothbrush for a second. Then I turn off the water, brush my teeth, then turn on the water again to rinse. Imagine how much water we as a planet could save if everyone practiced this. When I'm at a big-box store, nursery, or anywhere that uses a hose, and I see it running when no one is using it, I find the water source and turn it off. Tracie T.,in Richmond, Virginia Dear Heloise: I have a recipe for the best hamburgers for people who like to make them at home. Take 2 parts of lean hamburger meat and 1 part of ground sausage, mix them well, and shape into patties. Barbecue on the grill, fry or broil.We were on vacation near Austin, Texas. At a cafe, we stopped and ate a hamburger, and it was so good. The owner told me what they used. Opal A.,in Garden Grove, California