Wed 7 Jun 2006
A few weeks ago, on the coconut shells post, I found a very cool way to reuse plastic milk bottles to make covered bird feeders for small birds (full instructions).
But as we’ve only got one tree in the garden (and that’s not really a tree, it’s an overgrown bush which is very cat-accessible), I’d love to find out other ways to reuse them rather than just slinging them in the recycling bin.
Any ideas?





Carly
June 8th, 2006 at 10:12 am
We get the big four pint bottles and when we’re done with them, I clean them out and let them dry, then decant flour into them.
They’re a lot easier to store and are more airtight than open flour bags, and they’re easier to pour from too.
And the best thing about them is their much, much cheaper than flour containers that you buy in the shops!
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Mike
June 8th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
carefully poke a few small holes in the lid and it becomes an in-door plant watering can.
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Ina
June 8th, 2006 at 3:56 pm
Cut them through in the middle, poke holes in the bottom and use them as plant pots. As they are square, you can fit a lot more on the windowsill than of round ones. If you use the larger bottles and make the pots shallower, they are small seed trays.
(Not my own idea, I’ve nicked it off a friend - but I think it’s very useful, especially at this time of the year when I constantly seem to be running out of pots and seed trays!)
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bev
June 8th, 2006 at 4:02 pm
If you carefully cut away the bit of plastic infront of the handle then poke holes in the bottom, you can use them as hanging plant pots - hang either from hooks, branches or do a row on a piece of dowel or 1×2 piece of wood.
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louisa's mum
June 8th, 2006 at 10:37 pm
refill with water and use them as weights for excercise routine.start with 1 pint bottles and work up.good luck.bye bye to bingo wings
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louisa's mom
October 2nd, 2006 at 10:49 pm
whats bingo wings
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louisa\'s mum
October 4th, 2006 at 9:30 pm
bingo wings is a slang expression for loose skin or soft muscle on lower part of upper arms.
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Silky
June 9th, 2006 at 9:10 am
i also cut these containers to get rid of the top but to leave the handle intact.. ehn use as a scoop for compost, dry pet food etc. of course you can hve several sizes too as the bottles come in several sizesthey are also useful in the garden when potting and even digging a little to make holes for plants.
Silky
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Cilla
June 9th, 2006 at 9:19 am
If you have a washing line or rotary clothes dryer.
You can put the feeder on there and best thing is the cats can’t reach them
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Stephen Waddington
June 11th, 2006 at 8:13 am
Another gardening use: I cut them up and use the flat parts for labels in the garden. You can write on the outside with a permanent marker.
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Rory
June 14th, 2006 at 11:38 am
I use them on my allotment as slug traps. Cut a little flap-door in one side about half way up, and bury the bottom half of the bottle in the soil. The flap door should be about an inch above the surface of the soil so the beetles don’t fall in. Now open the screw lid and pour in some old beer & water (I get beer slops free from my local pub). Put the lid back on and wait for the piles of drunk, drowned and eventually festering dead slugs inside! You can empty it on your compost bin and re-use the bottle again. I have about 30 of these all over my allotment this year and it is working great.
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andrew
June 16th, 2006 at 10:37 am
simply cut of the top and use as a rain water collecter in the garden
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skyweeder
July 1st, 2007 at 5:57 pm
andrew wrote:
Be sure to check frequently for mosquito wigglers. You don’t want to be breeding your own predators!
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How can I reuse or recycle … big squash bottles? » How can I recycle this?
July 14th, 2006 at 11:39 am
[…] The plastic bottles though, they’re not so tasty. I realise we’ve already brainstormed plastic milk bottles and water bottles but anything specially in mind for these babies, given they’re bigger and tougher? « How can I reuse or recycle … foam packing ‘peanuts’? […]
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cutebanana
January 27th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
reuse them by making a water bomb for the kids to play with…
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john
February 2nd, 2007 at 1:13 pm
You can build a Harmonica Microphone using a plastic milk bottle and a mineral water bottle.
Obviously, you need some electrical components (£16 worth) and some soldering skills, but it’s the shape that’s the important thing:
http://www.planetharmonica.com/ph2/VE/TMI-micUK.htm
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melinda
February 21st, 2007 at 4:11 am
One can cut guitar picks from plastic milk bottles.
They make food funnels with the bottom cut off.
My gift tags on Christmas gifts this year were cut from plastic milk bottles- modeled on the plastic tags that come on bread bads, but bigger. I use drawstring bags to “wrap” gifts and these went well around the drawstrings. I used a permanent marker to write on them.
They can be cut into sections to separate hamburgers when freezing them.
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Crafta.com :|: Baby Shower Supply Department (Glass and Plastic repair)
February 24th, 2007 at 3:52 am
[…] How can I reuse or recycle plastic milk bottles? How can I You can build a Harmonica Microphone using a plastic milk bottle and a mineral water bottle. Obviously, you need some electrical components ( 16 worth) and some soldering skills, but it s the shape […]
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Singist
March 31st, 2007 at 12:03 pm
poke small holes around the bottom of the milk container and hang them over your hanging baskets, first thing in the morning and/or after dark. It drip feeds the baskets so they don’t dry out
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Andrew Whittington
June 7th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
By trimming off the bottom of the plastic milk bottle at an angle, they make great poop scoops for your cat litter tray, or place a plastic bag inside, and use them when your outside walking your dog, and want a hands off approach to removing that poop and bagging it for the bin.
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How can I reuse or recycle … the bottoms of fizzy drink bottles? » How can I recycle this?
June 25th, 2007 at 11:16 am
[…] me realise that while we’ve covered a large range of different types of plastic bottles (eg, milk, squash, shower gel, shampoo, miniatures ones, pump action ones, and water, water cooler and hot […]
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Katerina
June 25th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
They are very easily cuttable, and if you have time and patience - you cut shapes from them, and use them for making jewellry or put them on long strings and make curtains for the door or window. It is easy to make holes in pieces with thick needle.
If you are getting sharp corners - you can sand or file tem, or heat them up lightly so the sharp bits would melt.
If you make loads of them - you can use them for decorating clothes (put needle through the hole on the top, and put couple of beads through, then back through the hole - you can make fish-scale effect on bags etc. like this.)
Use the bits for decoration on the belts, or make bigger shapes and make the whole belt out of them.
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Katerina
June 25th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
I just thought of another one - you can use it to make a lamp !look here:
http://www.instructables.com/id/E9TA9AH137ET2JYI75/
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Delusion
June 30th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
As I have a fear of spiders but my partner isnt always around, I find these “frosted” bottles excellent for catching them.
Putting a clear glass/container over them means you can still see the little sucker which creeps me out.
The frosted containers means you can see a shadow so you know you’ve caught it but you cant see all the creepy details :p
Makes it easier to cast it outside!
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skyweeder
July 1st, 2007 at 6:06 pm
I made a double bird feeder with two of the bottles. Just cut circles on the sides big enough for the birds to get in and get the birdseed, and burned holes for drainage in the bottom with an electric soldering iron. I then mounted one on each end of a curtain rod amd attached the rod to a long aluminum pole (the kind you use to keep a long clothes line from sagging in the middle). Eventually they disentegrate, but I have a steady supply waiting in the wings to replace them. It helps to put a piece of PVC in the ground to put the pole in.
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Roran
July 17th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Use It as a terrarium. A small pot of plant but it must be sealed up and the plant will survive by itself even without water for a whole months!
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Danil
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:25 pm
Use them as lamps
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.....
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:26 pm
make traps…..
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Roran
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:27 pm
Use It as a terrarium. A small pot of plant but it must be sealed up and the plant will survive by itself even without water for a whole months!!!!
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guy
February 20th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
a biscuit tin if the top and the handle
is cut off
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guy
February 20th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
a planter
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Katie
March 1st, 2008 at 10:04 am
Water carrier
If you know anyone who goes camping or a camping site near you, give them to them. We camp and have found the water containers very heavy and expensive to buy, so we now use a couple of plastic milk bottles. Now the kids can fetch the water.
We have also collected enough for the kids to make a small raft for on the beach. All we used was a couple of broom handles and lots of string/rope (or cut up plastic bags) to tie every thing together. It took the kids all day putting it together and oh what fun they had, even working as a teem (never herd of in our house)!
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Recycling pop and water bottles into flowers » How can I recycle this?
May 1st, 2008 at 11:04 am
[…] How can I reuse or recycle … plastic milk bottles? […]
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Nicole
May 1st, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I rinsed out a gallon jug and now use it to collect water as I heat up the water for a shower, then use the water to water my plants.
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