The things that used to come in reusable containers might surprise you!

When I was a little girl, it was important to start keeping a hope chest. For those not familiar with the term, it was a collection of items that you saved for when you got married. I always wanted one like the picture but we didn't have a lot of money, so I just used one of my dresser drawers. My collection started with food items that came in reusable containers. Think it's funny! Wait until you hear about the items that were common way back when.

Peanut butter and jam used to come in glass jars that were actually glasses. My first set of glasses came from saving the peanut butter jars in the late 1960s. They were large tumblers and had a pink & white art deco design. I used them when I left home in the 70s and I still had them when I got married in 1986. Another set of glasses that I still have packed away someplace, have a small stem with a gold & white pattern. Some of those glasses were really cool. Plus they were practical. They didn't need to be recycled because they were reusable.


Not only were there glasses in all shapes, sizes and decorations but I have thermal bowls, glasses and cups that were distributed in the 1960s by the Borden Company. Remember Elsie the Cow? I have one of those too! These bowls were filled with cottage cheese. They have reusable plastic lids and were very durable. Obviously, since I still have some 40 years later and still use them.

Kraft used to have peanut butter in decorative jars (sculpted glass), some even had slits in the lids to use as banks. I still have some of these jars, there were several different styles of teddy; some were plain, some he wore a bow tie, I think there was even a girl teddy jar. (Right after I typed this, I went and checked mine, yes one is plain and one has a bow tie) My jars were all clear glass. I don't know if someone painted the one in the picture or if it actually came that way. Either way you get the general idea of what it looked like.

Regardless of how you want to look at this, it was a pretty good marketing idea and it was good for the environment. There aren't many items sold today that come in reusable containers. Wow, all this talk about food made me hungry. Grabbed some cottage cheese to eat while typing but unfortunately, it's from one of those plastic tubs that will have to be RECYCLED! Oh well, c'est la vie!