35 Creative Ways to Use Plastic Bottles/Pet Bottles
By-Anju Gyanchand
Did you know that it takes three times the amount of water to make a PET bottle than to fill it?
Shocking isn’t it?
PET i.e. polyethylene terephthalate bottles ,the ones commonly used to bottle water, are made of a substance that photodegrades rather than biodegrade, which means it breaks down over time but never actually completely disappears. It almost takes decades to break down. What results is multiple time bombs which sit in our landfills, enter our earth and water Oceans and into the stomachs of animals that live in respective zones.
The BPA –bisphenol A, that is used to make plastic harder and clearer is extremely hazardous to health causing multiple illnesses in human and infants. Reusing bottles to store water can also cause illness as over time it tends to collect bacteria and becomes virtually unusable.
We need to eliminate plastics from our lives or the planet dies and with it, we do too. If we absolutely mu use plastic, then we should use ones with a high recycling code and those which are BPA free.
Below are some ways to recycle plastic bottles.
1. Plates and Spoon Stand
Image credits – http://stepbystepideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/plastic-bottles-fun-craft-2.jpg
A utensil holder is easy to make and saves space and is mobile. It can be a horizontal rack on your dining table or can be placed vertically beside your stove. It is lightweight and saves the environment too. Just carve up according to size desired and use as is or decorate it up as you want. These are pretty durable too.
2. Pen and stationary holder
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An easy way to keep your desk organised, a plastic bottle can be cut into different sizes to keep your pens and scissors in place. You can also decorate it with coloured papers or quilled designs; no one will even know what’s underneath!
3. KidsBowling Pins
Image credits – http://pinklover.snydle.com/files/2016/10/angry-birds-birthday-party-game.jpg
Now you don’t have to worry about spending a lot of money buying expensive bowling pins and spending money and time at the bowling arena. With plastic bottles you can do the same at home. And don’t have to worry about breaking the pins. Colour them outside or in, put your name on it or draw your enemies face on if you like! Just get bowling!
4. Planters
Image credits – https://inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/02/Water-bottle-herbs.jpg
These planter ideas are not bulky or expensive. Hang them upside down or cut them up in half and place them on your window sill. There are a plenty of innovative ways to use a plastic bottle to grow your plants both indoors and outside. You can mount them up on your wall or create a pyramid garden , it’s easy and ideal for growing small plants.
5. Self-watering planters
Image credits – http://ourpeacefulplanet.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/self.watering.planter.5.jpg
By putting the inverted top half in to the bottom one filled with water and running a wick through holes drilled through the cap, you can make your own self watering plastic planter. All you need to do is check on it once a week and drain out and clean the reservoir and then be worry free for the next week or two.
6. Bottle walls
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This non- brittle, cost effective material can be utilised in place of brick and mortar to build a wall. It is sturdy, easy to build and strong, apparently even bullet and earthquake proof too. What a great way to reuse plastic enmasse! Just build a frame and fill up the cavities with plastic bottles. Plaster to give an even look and you have made yourself a monster wall!
7. Decorative bowls
Image credits – http://feelitcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/plastic-bottles-crafts4.jpg
Though not as malleable as clay, plastic can be cut up into beautiful shapes and bent with a little persuasion to make beautiful bowls where you can keep coins, stickers etc. Make it more attractive by painting it and turn it into your own masterpiece.
8. Lamp Shades
Image credits – http://www.home-dzine.co.za/2014/may/301.jpg
There is no end to the things you can make with plastic bottles if you stretch your imagination. Make a simple lampshade by cutting the top and painting it or create a chandelier by cutting the bottom of each bottle and stringing the “flowers” together. A plastic bottle lampshade doesn’t cost anything and looks unique and one of a kind.
9. Pathway Lining
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Using plastic bottles for pathway lining is an effective method of recycling bulk plastic. Not only can you turn it into a pretty pattern , but it also has the ability to withstand heavy loads and is water resistant. Affordable and earth friendly, you can even throw in a mix of bottle caps to make your own cute pathway!
10. Green House
Image credits – https://realfarmacy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/09.jpg
Though laborious and time consuming, building a greenhouse out of plastic bottles is a sturdy and cost effective way to make a greenhouse. Easy to repair, it is going to keep essential heat in and also ventilate and keep your plants healthy.
11. Bird House
Image credits – http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XEPPARQLm1E/VVCjwQqswzI/AAAAAAAAUQ4/cqp3EED67to/s1600/PopBirdhouses.jpg
Paint, colour, cut and decorate, a plastic bottle is a versatile material to make a birdhouse. You can make one according to size and requirement and it doesn’t cost a dime! Sure to keep your garden colourful and your little bird friends happy!
12. Raft/Float
Image credits – http://img.gunook.com/upload/6/10/610cd7607a5e975ff2677c77edb3820a_thumb.jpg
When attempting a bottle raft, make sure you peel off the bottle label as you don’t want to pollute the water. Also make a sturdy frame; you don’t want to be rolling into the water in the middle of your sojourn. Measure out the weight proportionately while putting a thin wood plank over the bottles and you’re ready to set off!
13. Bird Feeder
Image credits – http://www.wasteandenergyeducation.co.uk/assets/cached/images/450x450x95/3864T3864T840/aug_15/FENT__1438871948_Plastic_bottle_bird_feeder.jpg
Upscaling a plastic bottle into a fully functional birdfeeder is easy and more effective than your think. Make a backyard buffet for the little winged beings to keep them coming back, while regularly cleaning and adding a variety of seeds to attract more varieties of birds.
14. Bracelets/Bangles
Image credits – http://www.cucicucicoo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/gelly-bangles.jpg
Clean the bottle, measure out the size desired and cut up a bottle to create your own unique accessory. You can try a variety of designs, paint it, or stick beads on; you can even burn the edges to create a curvy edge. Don these beauties and you will surely have a talking point at your next outing.
15. Earring
Image credits – https://it.pinterest.com/pin/402579654161377139/
A pair of scissors and a plier can go a long way to help your style quotient. Make sure you measure the correct size and melt as evenly as possible .Don’t worry if you don’t get it right away, with a little practice you’ll learn to make innovative designs that cost nothing and look superb!
16. Tumbling bottle cap game
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You can teach your kids to recycle too, by making a fun game wherein you make holes in the bottle, stick the “sticks” in and effectively turn the caps into “monkeys” and prevent the monkeys from falling down. Akin to the tumbling monkeys game. It’s an easy enough to make and will be a fun past time for adults and kids alike.
17. Crafting chimes and decorative wall pieces
Image credits – http://community.k4craft.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/plastic-bottle-wall-hanging-k4craft-community.jpg
There are as many designer wall hangings you can make with plastic bottles as there are varieties of bottles themselves. Mix and match sizes ,decorate them with string..add in some bells or stars and you have a pretty and colourful piece ready!
18. Repurposed plastic “ottomans”
Image credits – https://www.icreativeideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/How-to-DIY-Simple-Ottoman-from-Plastic-Bottles.jpg
Repurpose plastic junk bottles into something completely unexpected .You just need to be handy with a needle and thread or a sewing machine and discover a fabulous use of plastic that no one will ever be able to guess.
19. DIY gift boxes
Image credits – http://stepbystepideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/plastic-bottles-fun-craft-1.jpg
Making packaging boxes out of plastic bottles is super easy. Cut into funky designs using a template and you can use these to gift sweets or jewellery. You can even put in some potpourri or your trinkets to carry around with you.
20. Simple animal “banks”
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Use a craft knife delicately to fashion this unique little piggy bank for your little ones. Stick on beads for feet and cut out ears and stick them on. Cut out a thin slit to put the coins in and once its full you can just cut it open and start creating more animals!
21. Handy storage jars
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Keeping your craft supplies in order is a tedious task. You always have buttons rolling around or thread that you just can’t keep organised. Now with a simple incision on a plastic bottle you can now put anything in order. Put your candies in it and place it on the table or hang up on your kitchen wall or put screws and nails and hang it up on the garage wall.
22. Super-efficient garbage cans
Image credits – http://www.amarilloverdeyazul.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/papelera_botellas1.jpg
Make a garbage can out of garbage! Yes, you can make a funky garbage can out of used plastic bottles of any size you want. You will need to be precise with the measurements especially while making a wire frame. In order to give to bottles some weight, put in some dirt so that it won’t blow away. You can eve put together a lid. Just make sure you line it with bin liner.
23. Fish tank
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Make a fish tank out of the bottom of a plastic bottle. Put in some vegetation, some pebbles at the bottom and pour water over it and you have a small home for your little fish. It’s mobile and lightweight and is a perfect home for a single or two fish.
24. Garden sprinklers
Image credits – http://www.socreativethings.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Reusing-plastic-bottles-7.jpg
This is fun for kids to play with in the garden. You just need to prick some holes into a bottle whose top can fit over a garden hose and once its full with a decent luck you’ll have a sprinkler that’s more effective than expected.
25. Bowls for easy storage
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As with any craft item, plastic bottles can also be experimented with in umpteen ways. Various sizes and shapes can be covered up with paper or painted and you can keep your buttons in these bowls or even snacks or jewellery.
26. DIY broom
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A sturdy broom made with a plastic bottle can be used as a fun Halloween costume or actually a broom that fulfils its purpose as a cleaning gadget. Find a stick that will fit into the top of the bottle and cut out the bottom into strips that work as the “hair”.
27. Designer candle stands
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Melting the top bit of the bottle after cutting it turns it into a cool and easy candle stand that can be a craft project for little kids. They can decorate it with ribbons and feathers or simply leave as is.
28. Easy speakers
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Assembling and getting this to work might require some engineering skills, but you will be surprised at the results. Given its standard shape, these bottle tops double up as little speakers that cost nothing and are pretty effective in amplifying sound.
29. “waterproof”slippers
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If you like funky and eccentric and want to make your mark in helping the environment, these crazy plastic sandals are for you You can tie up some jute to hold your toes or slip your feet in to the labels and voila! A “new” pair of slippers is ready!
30. Funky costumes
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Although it might be odd to wear it, a dress made out of plastic bottles can be a god costume idea. You can cut up some plastic flowers of different colours and decorate the bodice or make a grrovy mini. It can be experimented with as you please.
31. Garden fence
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Fixing one bottle into the other to create a horizontal fence is a unique way to recycle. You will need a lot of bottles that are even sized and some patience because it is a time consuming endeavour. It requires a little bit of hard work, but will result in virtually a no cost garden fence that can be changed whenever required.
32. Water Filter
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Although you will need to boil the resultant water, this water filter is pretty effective if you use it in the correct way. Many layers of various materials that are put into an inverted plastic bottle suck out the impurities of water slowly and effectively and drip down at the bottom into a cup placed there.
33. Pet Bottle Funnel
Image credits –https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Funnel-from-a-Plastic-Bottle#/Image:Funnel3_394.JPG
This is perhaps the easiest thing to make out of a plastic bottle. You just need to cut out the top bit preferably in a slant and it s ready to use. Easy and effectively recycle an everyday object that you will non chalantly throw out otherwise.
34. Glasses
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Soda glasses is a term we often hear, but you can actually turn a soda bottle into a pair of funky eco glasses. Though you won’t get any UV protection out of this it will definitely be a fun thing to try for sure!
35. MOUSE Trap
Image credits – https://proreviewly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Bottle-trap.png
Simple to operate and easy to bait, these pet bottle mouse traps won’t hurt the animal and it will be easy to release once trapped as well. Look for instructions online on how to make and use. This DIY project is easy and functional.
What plastic junk is doing to our planet.
In the U.K, a resident by the name of Andrew Mayers has been silently leading a crusade for the last 10 years. Fighting off smirks and laughter from onlookers, this man has collected 180000 pieces of plastic that is casually and unsentimentally chucked away by his fellow countrymen.
One might think it’s is thankless and futile, this pursuit of saving the environment in his own small way, but it is a lesson we could all beg to learn.
Closer home, it is not a rare site to see rag pickers scavenge for plastic bottles to sell for piddly amounts. And they never run out of a job, because we, a mentally advanced, educated and emotional civilisation, think nothing of tossing a bottle into the street. This ends up reaching landfills where it just lies there for centuries leaking pollutants into the soil and water. Or worse still, ending up in our oceans via our ill planned drainage systems.
What we need to do, is realise the dangerous long-term impact plastic junk has on our environment. If we can’t stop using it in the first place, at least we need to dispose it off in recycling units. Plastic polluting our planet is as dangerous a threat as global warming is and if we don’t find a way to combat its ill effects, it won’t be long before the planet decides to recycle us!
Maybe we should come up with novel ideas like “plastic roads”- plastic being recycled into asphalt mixture and used to pave roads that are apparently sturdier and long lasting-so that our future is still filled with birds ,sunshine and trees rather than islands of plastic and cancerous plastic running in our blood.
