Container and stand system

1 . A container system for use on a horizontal surface, comprising:

a container having a bottom, at least one peripheral side, and an open top end, the bottom having a perimeter, a top surface, and a bottom surface, the at least one peripheral side projecting upwardly from the perimeter of the bottom and terminating at a top edge, the at least one peripheral side including a plurality of handle apertures therethrough, the plurality of handle apertures being disposed closer to the open top end of the container than to the bottom of the container; and

a stand having a top, at least one peripheral side, and an open bottom end, the top having a perimeter, a top surface, and a bottom surface, the at least one peripheral side of the stand projecting downwardly from the perimeter of the top and terminating at a bottom edge, the at least one peripheral side of the stand including a plurality of apertures therethrough;

wherein the open bottom end of the stand, when the stand is inverted, is adapted to receive the bottom and the at least one peripheral side of the container therein such that the container and the stand are configured in a nested configuration;

wherein the top of the stand is adapted to receive thereon the bottom of the container such that the container and the stand are configured in a stacked configuration; and

wherein an entirety of the plurality of handle apertures of the container is fully exposed and accessible through the plurality of apertures of the stand when the container and the stand are in the nested configuration.

2 . The container system of claim 1 wherein the top surface of the top of the stand includes a raised lip at the perimeter thereof adapted to receive the bottom of the container, whereby the container is inhibited from sliding off of the top of the stand.

3 . The container system of claim 1 wherein the open top end of the container includes a curled lip configured for covering at least a portion of the bottom edge of the stand when the container and the stand are in the nested configuration.

4 . The container system of claim 1 wherein the bottom edge of the stand includes a plurality of feet adapted to contact the horizontal surface when the stand and container are in the stacked configuration with the stand resting on the horizontal surface, the top edge of the container configured for substantially encompassing at least the plurality of feet of the stand when the container and the stand are in the nested configuration.

5 . The container system of claim 1 wherein the bottom edge of the stand includes an outwardly projecting lip.

6 . The container system of claim 1 wherein the container and the stand are both substantially rectangular in shape, the at least one peripheral side of the container being exactly four peripheral sides, and the at least one peripheral side of the stand being exactly four peripheral sides.

7 . The container system of claim 6 wherein the four peripheral sides of the container include a plurality of apertures therethrough, and the four peripheral sides of the stand include the plurality of apertures of the stand therethrough.

8 . The container system of claim 7 wherein each of the four peripheral sides of the stand meet at four rounded and thickened corners.

9 . The container system of claim 1 wherein the at least one peripheral side of the container is solid but for the plurality of handle apertures therethrough.

10 . The container system of claim 1 wherein the container has a height substantially the same as a height of the stand.

11 . The container system of claim 1 wherein the container has a height of less than a height of the stand.

12 . The container system of claim 1 wherein the container and the stand are both substantially square in shape, the at least one peripheral side of the container being exactly four peripheral sides, and the at least one peripheral side of the stand being exactly four peripheral sides, the container being insertable into the stand at any angle evenly divisible by 90.

13 . The container system of claim 1 wherein the container is tapered from the open top end to the bottom, and wherein the stand is cooperatively tapered from the open bottom end to the top.

14 . A container system for use on a horizontal surface, comprising:

a container having a bottom, at least one peripheral side, and an open top end, the bottom having a perimeter, a top surface, and a bottom surface, the at least one peripheral side projecting upwardly from the perimeter of the bottom and terminating at a top edge, the container further having at least one handle fixed with the at least one peripheral side; and

a stand having a top, at least one peripheral side, and an open bottom end, the top having a perimeter, a top surface, and a bottom surface, the at least one peripheral side of the stand projecting downwardly from the perimeter of the top and terminating at a bottom edge, the bottom edge including a plurality of handle recesses;

wherein the container and the stand are not identical with respect to one another;

wherein the open bottom end of the stand, when the stand is inverted, is adapted to receive the bottom and the at least one peripheral side of the container therein such that the container and the stand are configured in a nested configuration;

wherein the top of the stand is adapted to receive thereon the bottom of the container such that the container and the stand are configured in a stacked configuration;

wherein the plurality of handle recesses of the stand receives the at least one handle of the container therein when the container and the stand are in the nested configuration; and

wherein, when the container and the stand are in an upright orientation in the nested configuration, the at least one handle of the container extends laterally outward beyond the plurality of handle recesses of the stand and laterally outward beyond the bottom edge of the stand such that an outermost side of the at least one handle of the container is disposed outboard of the bottom edge of the stand.

15 . The container system of claim 14 wherein the container and the stand are both substantially cylindrical in shape, the at least one peripheral side of the container being exactly one peripheral side, and the at least one peripheral side of the stand being exactly one peripheral side.