How to Make Useful Stuff Out of Plastic Bottles

Cornell University reports that, in 2005 alone, consumers bought roughly 30 billion plastic water bottles. We recycled only about 12%, which means approximately 25 billion were tossed in the trash. The Audubon Naturalist Society states that it takes around 500 years for a plastic bottle to decompose, and that Americans consume 4 million of them every hour. Fortunately, you can turn clean, empty plastic bottles into functional, practical items rather than tossing them into our ever-expanding landfills.

Things You'll Need

• Various plastic bottles, such as water bottles, 2-liter bottles or milk jugs
• Tape measure or ruler
• Clear household tape or masking tape
• Permanent marker
• Craft knife or box cutter
• Screwdriver
• 2 screws

Instructions

Make Funnels Out of a Plastic Bottles

1. Hold a ruler or tape measure up to the plastic bottle.

2. Draw a line on the bottle with the permanent marker four or five inches down from the mouth of the bottle.

3. Wrap a strip of tape all the way around the bottle under the marker line.

4. Cut away the top of the bottle using a craft knife or box cutter. Use the tape as your guide, slicing along the top edge of the tape.

5. Turn the top of the bottle upside down to use as a household funnel.

Make Cloches Out of Plastic Bottles

1. Measure the height and width of a small plant or seedling that you want to keep warm during the winter or encourage growth during the spring.

2. Find a plastic bottle that is at least slightly wider than the plant. Turn the bottle upside down and measure the bottle's height.

3. Mark a line on the bottle showing the height of the plant or seedling plus two to three inches.

4. Wrap a length of tape around the bottle at the marked line. Use the tape as a guide to cut the bottom of the bottle away.

5. Place the top of the bottle over the plant or seedling.

Make Cookie or Biscuit Cutters Out of Plastic Bottles

1. Lay a thin plastic bottle, such as a water or single-serving soft drink bottle, on its side.

2. Hold a ruler or tape measure along the side of the bottle.

3. Mark the bottle at 2-inch intervals.

4. Wrap a length of tape around the bottle at each mark.

5. Slice the bottle all the way around at each tape marking, using the tape as a guide. Remove the tape and use the sliced bottle rings as cookie or biscuit cutters.

Make Grocery Bag Dispensers Out of a Plastic Bottles

1. Draw a mark on a 2-liter plastic bottle two inches from the bottom of the bottle.

2. Wrap a length of tape around the bottle where you drew the mark.

3. Slice away the bottom of the bottle, using the tape as a guide.

4. Push two small screws through the inside of the plastic bottle about three inches from the bottom. The screws should be inserted level to one another but two to three inches apart.

5. Fasten the screws to a wall or door with the cut opening up and the bottle mouth facing the floor. Stuff plastic grocery bags into the cut opening of the bottle and pull them out as needed through the bottle mouth.

References

• Cornell University: Animating Water Bottle Recycling Rates
• Audubon Naturalist Society: How Long Does It Take Trash To Decompose In A Landfill?
• Gardening Tips n Ideas: Create an instant Garden Cloche

Resources

• Reader's Digest Magazine: Extraordinary Uses for Bottles
• Gomestic Guides: 10 Surprising Uses for Plastic Bottles