Never toss out containers without asking yourself if there's some other way you can reuse them first. You ain't made of money. And if you are, I want to be your best friend. :o)
For empty two-liter bottles of soft drinks try:
• Cut off the bottoms and use them as cloches for your tender young seedlings if your weather hasn't warmed up enough.
• Cut off the top one-third of the way down and use it as a funnel.
• Cut off the top one-third of the way down--keep the cap on--and use as a scoop for kitty litter, dirt, or fertilizer.
• Store water--especially before severe weather strikes.
• Store detergent. When traveling, you can use a small bottle to store laundry soap. Easy to transport and easy to store.
Have you used empty drink bottles for any other use?
Next time: Uses for spice jars and other small containers.
10 comments:
LD Masterson said...
I don't have a lot of uses for the two liter bottles - probably because we don't buy a lot - but I've used several of your ideas with plastic gallon milk jugs. They make great scoops with the bottoms cut off because of the handle. I also like to fill them with wild bird seed so I can grab one or two when it's time to fill my feeders and not have to deal with lugging a 50 pound bag outside.
Maria Zannini said...
Linda:
Ref: milk jugs
This is what happens when you have little kids around. LOL.
In my house, it's soft drinks.
Good thought on carrying bird seed!
My feeder is removable, so I bring it in and fill it. All the little birds tap their toes waiting for me to return.
Angela Brown said...
The funnel idea, after reading it, seemed so obvious. Yet I hadn't ever thought of that before. Thanks for the tips.
Dru said...
If you fill it up with rice, they make good hand weights.
Jackie Burris said...
Milk and water jugs in gallon size are now my rain water storage tanks. That way when no rain for long periods I have an easy to carry water source for my small indoor and outdoor plants. Much better than the chlorine tablet buckets used at our other home, no swimming pool now so no empty plastic buckets for catching roof runoff.
Like Linda the gallon jugs make great bird seed refillers, they also worked to "root" my Wandering Jew sprigs in as well.
Soda only buy in single serve 6 packs so no 2 liter bottles to repurpose.
Maria Zannini said...
Angela: Empty bleach bottles make the best funnels. They're very strong and I don't feel bad tossing them away once I've used them for messy or toxic things.
Dru: Oh, Dru. That sounds dangerously close to exercise. LOL! But good point.
Jackie: You know, I should store some gallon jugs of water before the summer hits hot and heavy. Last year's drought is still fresh in my memory. My water bill last year was through the roof.
Rebekah Loper said...
*headdesk* I can't tell you how many times I've wished for a funnel and had a water bottle in the house . . . and I never thought of this!
Maria Zannini said...
Rebekah: Sometimes all it takes is looking at things in a different perspective. I hate to spend money if I don't have to.
Angelina Rain said...
Those can be used as good dog toys too. Just don't forget to observe. Joey figures out how to take the top off, so I don't allow him to play with them, but my mom's dog has a blast.
Maria Zannini said...
Angelina: Sarah said the same thing--only she put the comment in the last post.
Iko loved his empty soda bottle when he was a puppy--but oh what a racket he made. It's a game better played outdoors. :)