9 ways to recycle plastic bottles from detergents and cleaning agents

A quick look around at home and you’d realise there’s so much of hidden plastic everywhere. According to a survey conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 60 cities of the country, the quantum of plastic waste generation is estimated to be 15,342.6 tonnes per day of which an estimated  6137 tonnes remained uncollected and littered. The post below aims at helping you specifically lessen the waste from your detergent bottles and other home cleaning agents.

Listed below are 6 ways to reuse these bottles in fun ways:

1.    Watering Can: Why buy one, when you can fix an uber cool customised watering can at home? Use any old large sized Lizol bottle – ensure its rinsed and cleaned well and free of any chemical residue. Get rid of the sticker. Drill some holes into the cap of the bottle. Ta Da! It’s as simple as that. Use it yourself or hand it over to your kids, so they feel involved in the household chores (which they love when they are younger). You could also use it to wash your feet, post a trip to the beach.

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2. Plant Holder / Utility Holder: Make yourself a small plant holder by using any cleaning agent bottle – flat/ round. Cut it into shape as can be seen in the image. Do exercise caution when using the knife or blade to cut. Put in your favourite plant directly into the plant holder and add some soil it it. Make some holes at the bottom of the plant holder to let water seep through when you water plants. Alternatively, use it as a utility holder for the kitchen area. 
   

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3. Portable hardware bins: Cut out (see image) a big old detergent bottle, ideally with a handle and use it to keep all hardware items like nails or any other knick knacks. Label them for ease of placing them the next time. Alternately you could even slice out a piece of it (refer image 2) and use it horizontally.

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4. Piggy banks: This one’s perfect if you’ve got coins lying around all over the house. Make yourself a perfect coin organiser a.k.a piggy bank from a reused bottle – choose any from your Harpic / Lizol bottle for this one. You can choose the animal you wish to convert it into but if it’s a pig, you’d need some Acrylic paints for this one. Just ensure you’ve washed and cleaned the bottle well. Stick on some goggly eyes and draw the snout onto the cap. For the ears cut out the shape on a slightly stiff chart paper and stick it on using double sided tape. With a knife/blade cut across a small slit at the top. That’s it. Your custom made money saver is ready to use.

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5. A play truck for the kids: Kids can’t have enough of toys. Play smart and instead of investing in one each time, just create one at home. This way you also save some money. Cut out the doors and windows in an old Mr. Muscle equivalent cleaning bottle. Use caps from old bottles for the tyres and voila, you have a brand new play truck ready.

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6. A scoop and beach bucket for the kids: Cut out the bottom part of the bottle for it to be used as a scoop. Let the kids use this super fun DIY scoop for their day at the beach. Use a smaller bottle and use it to create your own gardening tool. Alternatively, you could slice out the top part of the bottle and create a beach bucket for the kids.
   

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7. Wall masks: Let your creative juices flow and get down to making some wall décor masks. Slice up any bottle with handles (as can be seen in the image) and paint to create your own wall mask. Make a series of these to create a distinct wall space at home.
   

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8. Stationery Keeper: This one’s a great hack if you’ve got lots of stationery and kids at home. Keep them well stacked, in one place. Cut the bottle out in shape (as seen in the image) and you’ve got your own stationery keeper and organiser.
   

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9. Shower essentials keeper: Keep all your shower essentials in this DIY caddy. Simply slice the plastic bottle (opt for an old large sized detergent bottle) into half and it’s good to be used. It could also double up as stationary stacker.
   

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A word of caution: always take necessary care and precaution when working with knifes and paper cutters/ blades. Make sure when you slice the edges of plastics that they are smoothened by a sandpaper and there are no sharp edges.

We hope you find some of these ideas useful. Do share with us any others you have.