Plastic is a material that was invented by people, only about a hundred years ago. It’s useful for many things. But a lot of plastic items are designed to be used only once, and then thrown away. Think of plastic bags, or straws, or takeout cups from coffee shops. That’s a lot of plastic garbage.
And a lot of it ends up in the ocean. Even plastic that has been properly thrown in the trash and taken to the landfill can be carried by wind and rain into the water, and eventually into the ocean.
Unlike organic waste, plastic takes years and years to break down. Even when it does break down, you end up with an ocean full of teeny tiny bits of plastic, like a huge cloudy plastic soup. These microscopic pieces of plastic are eaten by plankton, which are then eaten by fish, and so on up the food chain.
So plastic recycling seems like a good idea and true salvation not even to us, but our nature too.
Plastic bottles can be used for many DIY ideas, from making garden decorations, and brooms to ottoman seats. Its resilient, flexible, transparent and food-safe qualities allow us to creatively re-use them for many purposes. So many that we’ve decided to create a whole post dedicated to plastic bottle recycling and upcycling ideas.
If you don’t have an opportunity to separate your waste for recycling, do not throw the beverage bottles out, it might become a beautiful plastic bottle craft project while also helping our fragile ecosystem as well!
DIY No-Sew Zipper Cases
Turn your old plastic bottles into useful and sturdy no-sew zipper cases that will help you organize your life, for almost no cost at all. You can use them to store all sorts of art and craft supplies. This is also an awesome back-to-school craft idea for kids. To make one, cut the plastic bottle, glue a zipper to it, customise the decorations and you’re done.
Soda Bottle Sprinkler
If you want to keep your outdoor plants happy but don’t have a sprinkler to water them, all you need to do is poke holes in a 2 litre plastic soft drink bottle, insert the hose into the bottle and wrap some tape to fix the hose to the opening of the bottle. Turn on the tap and the homemade sprinkler is ready to go.
DIY Recycled Bird Feeders
If you live in an area that has many birds, a strategically placed DIY recycled bird feeder will allow you to view the pretty feathered creatures up close and personal. Taking just a little time and very little money, you can make one out of materials you might have otherwise thrown away – a plastic bottle and a couple of wooden spoons.
Piggy Bottle Bank
Not only does this simple project recycle a plastic bottle and make an adorable piggy bank, it also encourages kids to starting saving and recycling from a young age. Just cut the bottle appropriately and then have fun creating these super cute designs that will look great on your shelves too. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be a pig; be creative and make all sorts of little animals!
DIY Kitchen Storage Containers
Old plastic bottles can make excellent storage containers. Take back your kitchen space with this really cool and very affordable kitchen storage solution. Making repurposed containers out of your old bottles is fun and super easy, plus you could save yourself some money by crafting something you need instead of having to go out and buy it.
DIY Drip Irrigator
Drip irrigation delivers moisture directly to plant roots without oversaturating the soil, which helps the plants root deeper and grow healthier since they don’t experience moisture stress. Grab some 2 litre plastic bottles, punch two holes into the caps, and hang or plant the bottles next to the plants. Fill them with water and let the plants get the slow watering they prefer.
Vertical Hanging Garden
Vertical gardens are a great solution to many challenges within urban spaces and recycling plastic bottles is a great way to make one for yourself. Any number of bottles can be strung together and hung against a wall, a fence or a railing to create a garden. Remember to choose plastic bottles that are fairly thick and durable, such as soft drink bottles, rather than thin water bottles, which may tear under the weight of soil, plants and water.
DIY Plastic Bottle Pet Feeder
If you have pets, then this is the perfect plastic upcycling project for you. This is an easy way to turn plastic bottles into a disposable device for feeding your furry friends. Just choose your bottles to suit your pets, preferably thick and strong ones.
DIY Mobile Charger Basket
Instead of tossing away those old bottles of lotion or shampoo, make yourself a phone holder for charging. Created from an upcycled bottle, this convenient caddy makes it easy to charge your phone at any outlet without leaving a trail of wire across the floor. Remember to give it your personal touch with some customised décor
DIY Jewellery Stand
Here is a beautiful project to make a jewellery stand from plastic bottles, which looks great and can hold and hang tons of small jewellery for a clear vanity. And it doesn’t even take long to make. Cut the bottoms of plastic bottles, fix a metallic rod through them and see your craft turn into a beautiful jewellery organizer.
