How to Recycle Bottles
People are familiar with the concept of recycling glass and plastic bottles because they see the special containers for collecting them in schools, businesses and parks, and they see the three-arrow recycling logo printed on the bottles. Tossing bottles in a recycling bin is responsible behavior, but with Americans still throwing 38 billion water bottles annually into regular garbage, according to BusinessWeek magazine, reducing the environmental impact of glass and plastic bottles will require more creative approaches.
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Instructions
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Keep bottles for storage. Small medicine bottles are good for holding craft supplies such as beads, needles and sequins, and they can be used in tackle boxes or garages to keep small items organized. Big bottles such as plastic milk containers can store extra water in case of an emergency or keep cold water in the fridge during the summer without having to run it from the tap.
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Donate pill bottles to veterinarians and other doctors. It will save them money on purchasing supplies and they might even pass some of those savings on to you.
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Host a bottle-collection drive as a fundraiser in states that have a bottle-deposit law. Having a youth organization as sponsor can teach kids about recycling. Money can be raised for uniforms, field trips, transportation or school supplies.
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Make planters out of plastic soda bottles. The bottle's top and label can easily be removed, and the planter can sit upright without support once it's packed with dirt. Planters can be made from bottles of any size. You can use them for growing herbs, plants and flowers that don't need a lot of room for their roots.
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Wine-bottle candleholders have long been popular in restaurants. You can put wine bottles to the same use at home or on your porch. Place them on a surface such as a counter or a plate when you burn them so the wax can safely drip down the sides.
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Spray bottles can have a second life in your household. Those that haven't contained chemicals can be used as plant misters, filled with water and scented oil to create a natural air freshener or mixed with vinegar and water for an all-purpose cleaner. Old bottles of spray cleaners can store leftover diluted mixes of cleaning agents; that's better than dumping the excess into the sink.
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Turn bottles into vases. Small ones can be used as bud vases to tuck into the corners of window sills, and wider-mouthed bottles can hold small bouquets to place on end tables.
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