Ingenious Ways To Recycle Plastic Bottles

Our environment has had enough rejection from us in the past. We now need to join hands and take responsibility of how we take care of it.

You can put a foot in by doing just one small thing a day that will ensure its future existence. That one thing may be recycling your plastic bottles instead of throwing them away, which is what I will be discussing with you today.

Take a few minutes of your time to inspire your creative imagination with these seven ingenious ideas that you can make with your plastic bottles. This will also be efficient for your budget, since you won’t need to purchase the items for these projects.

Create A Mini Greenhouse

For those of you who don’t know what a greenhouse is, here is the simplest definition I found for you:

“A greenhouse is a building that is made out of glass or plastic in which plants are grown.”

We aren’t going to be building any house here, instead we are going to take the concept of “why the greenhouse is built,” which is to protect the plants from extreme temperatures and use that in our project

To create your mini greenhouse you have to:

• Get a clear plastic bottle and cut the bottom off with a sharp knife.
• Go to your garden and place that remaining part of the bottle over any plant that can be completely covered.
• Push your bottle downwards so it gets supported by the soil around it.
• Ensure that it’s intact, then repeat the process on all your other plants.

Doing this will enable your plants to fight off the bad effects of strong winds, frost, and heavy rainfall.

The second ingenious idea using plastic bottles you may never have thought of is to:

Make A Drip Feeder

A drip feeder is an irrigation system that helps to feed plants with droplets of water hence the name “drip feeder.”

These type of system is very expensive and usually only used by a select few.

Today I am going to include you in the “select few” category by teaching you how to create one for yourself using plastic bottles.

• Get a plastic bottle and poke holes all around it.
• Wash the bottle clean and bury it next to your chosen plant, ensuring that the neck going upwards is above the ground.
• Fill the bottle with water as needed.
• Or, if you cannot bury the bottle, you can just insert it near the plant.

If you’re very busy and have no time to water your plants then this low cost irrigation system is for you. Drip feeders ensure that your plants are constantly watered even if you’re away on holiday.

Make A Fruit Picker

Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to pick fruits that are on the high limbs of the tree? I bet you have. You can’t use a ladder because the tree limbs will move all over the place and you may fall.

To avoid this situation, look no further than the ingenious “fruit picker.” To design this for yourself you will need to:

• Get a 2 liter bottle and carve out an opening on the lower half of the side, big enough to fit the fruit you want to pick.
• Look for a long, strong stick or handle and fit it into the neck of the bottle. Make sure it’s intact and unmovable. Use duct tape if needed.
• Raise your fruit picker towards the fruit you want to pick and slip it into the opening, pull downwards and watch as the fruit drops into the picker.
• Repeat the process, picking as many as three fruits at a go before lowering your picker and getting your much-awaited reward.

Gone are the days of waiting for fruits at the top to fall before you can finally eat them – just use your newly designed picker. 

Related: DIY Mini Greenhouse For Year-Round Vegetables

The next idea on the menu is the by far easiest to make, so make sure you try it out.

Craft A Plastic Scoop

Plastic scoops are used to distribute mulch around your garden as well as dig planting holes. To make one for yourself you are going to have to:

• Get a rigid plastic bottle and carefully carve out two thirds of its lower part.
• Move on to carve out the bottom of the bottle.

You can now start scooping out soil, mulch and compost in your garden. Plastic scoops are great to use especially if you hate working with your hands in the garden for whatever reason.

Make A Simple Watering Can

Although I am saying “watering can,” what I really mean is a “watering plastic bottle,” the good thing is that we understand each other. To make one for yourself you’ll need to:

• Get a plastic bottle, preferably a 5 liter juice bottle or similar.
• Poke some holes on the cap of the bottle.
• Clean the bottle and fill it up with water.
• Screw on the perforated cap back on and start watering your plants.

This type of DIY watering can is great for watering tender plants and seedling because the pressure of the water coming out of it is limited. If you want to increase the pressure then just press the bottle in the middle whilst watering.

Create A Sprinkler

Sprinklers are used for watering lawns and in this section I am going to show you how to make one for yourself with plastic bottles. To do that you’ll need to:

• Get a 2 liter plastic bottle, clean it up, and poke several holes on one side.
• Take the female hose end and connect it to your plastic bottle using a female swivel adapter and hose washer.
• Connect your hose to the tap and open to start watering.
• Move the sprinkler to other areas of your lawn to ensure equal distribution of moisture.

Making a DIY sprinkler will help you save money on buying something you could easily make yourself.

Now comes my favorite way you can use plastic bottles which is to:

Establish A Hanging Garden

Hanging gardens are tantalizing to look at. Their beauty and intrigue bring a sense of freedom and adventure to one’s soul.

Making one for yourself may seem like a daunting task but if you follow the steps I have laid down for you, you’ll have one in your home in no time.

• Get some plastic bottles and remove the bottoms.
• Drill and pluck in screws or hooks onto your wall.
• Poke two holes on opposite ends of the open part of your bottle.
• Put a thread through those holes, making something like a bottle handbag.
• Put in some soil, compost, and seed or seedling of choice into the bottle.
• Hang your planter on the hook you made earlier.
• Repeat the process, making any design you can imagine on the wall.

Note that this type of garden can also be made indoors preferably on a wall that is exposed to sunlight.

Implementing these DIY projects in your home or garden is a step closer to a cleaner environment and frugal lifestyle. Start teaching your friends and loved ones how they can also put a foot into saving our planet and also be on budget, by recycling plastic bottles.

So which ingenious idea are you going to try out first?

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