Plastic bottles are often, but not always, great candidates for the recycling bin. However, there are other ways to give this item a second life before tossing it. It’s good to get in the habit of looking for ways to make ordinary items multipurpose.
Though your average bottle might not seem exciting, there are actually several ways to repurpose them around your home that you might not have thought of. From the bathroom to the garden, they can be storage warriors or make the perfect birdfeeder with a bit of creativity.
To help in your quest towards sustainability and giving products a second life, here are six smart ways to reuse plastic bottles.
Make a Kids’ Craft
Colorful Minds
A craft is a wonderful way to entertain a curious mind on a rainy day. The best crafts are the ones made from materials you probably already have lying around your house, like plastic water bottles. With a little creativity, the possibilities are endless.
This plastic bottle flower tutorial by Colorful Minds is a prime example. This project involves melting the plastic with a flame, so it requires adult supervision and is best for older kiddos.
Refill Your Empties
Sonja Rachbauer / Getty Images
You know that super-chic hand soap you splurged on in a beautiful, amber-hued plastic bottle? Consider keeping it when it runs out and giving it a refill with a different kind of soap.
You can always remove the sticker label to avoid confusion. If you don’t live near a soap refill shop, simply buy liquid soap in bulk online.
Turn Them Into Lanterns
Photo by Tessa Cooper
Plastic bottles look lovely aglow, so one genius way to reuse them is as lanterns. For example, you can attach them to string lights for a truly thrifty way to upgrade your backyard.
Simply drill a hole through the lid, insert the light, and then apply hot glue over the top of the hole to secure the bottle.
You can also take a similar approach with your milk jugs. If you’re having an evening party, you can cut off the top third of your gallon milk jugs and place battery-operated tea lights inside. Then, simply line your walkway with the luminaries.
Transform One Into a Bird Feeder
Tatiana Kuklina / Getty Images
If you’re working on making your backyard more bird-friendly, your old large soda bottles or juice jugs can help. These items make wonderful DIY bird feeders. Cut a hole on the side that’s large enough for your favorite birds to get into, and fill it with birdseed. Drill a hole through the plastic lid, run some strong string through it, and hang it from your tree.
There are several other plastic bottle bird feeder designs out there, some of which hang horizontally or incorporate wooden spoons for the birds to perch on. You can experiment with different models until you find the one that your backyard birds enjoy the most.
Use It as a Growing Station
Dougal Waters / Getty Images
Old plastic water bottles make great planters for little seedlings. You can use one as an indoor seed-starting vessel or even as a propagation station. Or, you can utilize it as a container for your edible micro greens and hang it in your kitchen for easy access.
To turn a plastic water bottle into a seed growing station, cut a large rectangle in the side. Drill a hole in the bottom, insert some twine, and knot the end so it doesn’t fall through. You can tie the other end of the twine to the top of the water bottle. Lastly, fill it with some dirt, plant your seeds, and just don’t forget to water them.
Make a Mini Greenhouse
Karl Tapales / Getty Images
When you’re ready to transport your starters into a pot and place them outside, these delicate sprouts could still use some protection from wildlife and chilly temps. You can fashion a mini greenhouse out of the top third of a plastic bottle. This will create a shield and humid environment for your little sprout to thrive.
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