With all the plastic we use, we’re sure to have some bottles lying around. Utilize them smartly with these 20 Ways to Reuse Plastic Bottles for the Home.

Have you ever considered how much plastic enters your home on a daily basis? That may be difficult to find out, but if you look at the amount of plastic leaving your home, you should get a good idea of how much plastic is a part of our lives.

It’s shocking, really. And if you want to be shocked some more, here are some facts:

• Plastic can last for 450 years – or forever
• Every minute, a garbage truck’s worth of plastic pollution ends up in the ocean
• Over 90%of all birds and fish are believed to have plastic particles in their stomach
• By 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish
• 73% of beach litter is plastic
• Only about 9% of the world’s plastic is recycled and 12% is incinerated – the rest ends up in landfills

A great percentage of all this plastic is plastic bottles. Did you know that a million plastic bottles are sold EVERY MINUTE? What’s more, more than 40% of this is thrown away after a single use. This is when it takes 83 liters of water to just make less than half a kilogram of plastic. Which means it takes double the amount of water to make a plastic water bottle as the water actually sold in it.

Yes, these are alarming facts, but we can make things better. And it begins with small actions starting at home, like cutting down on the plastic we bring into our home. As to the plastic that’s already lying around, let’s make use of them instead of throwing them away! Here are 20 useful (and pretty) ways to reuse plastic bottles in and around your home, so you get maximum use out of those single use bottles.

20 Useful Ways to Reuse Plastic Bottles for the Home

1. Zipper Cases

With kids at home all day and all their things to do their assignments and projects lying around, it can create a bit of a mess. Keep everything safe and contained – and waterproof – with this zipper pouch! Get the instructions to make this over at Make It Love It.

2. Jewelry Stand

Can you believe this is made from soda bottles? Hats off to EPBot for coming up with a project that’s a work of art, a genius in design and super useful as well! This is a great way to keep things organized on your dressing table, especially if you do not have a lot of drawer space.

3. Grains and Lentils Containers

We Indians are great at reusing containers, and that’s why this idea from Spusht is so appealing to us! To keep things looking neat and pretty, group similar plastic bottles together, so there is a cohesive look. You can use larger bottles for grains and smaller ones for lentils, or even pasta and cereal.

4. Pencil Holders

We saw how you could turn plastic bottles into zipper pouches, but they also make great pencil stands for your desk! We love these monster themed ones from Guide Astuces – they look so whacky! This is perfect to do with shampoo or shower gel bottles, especially since more than 552 million shampoo bottles end up in landfills every year.

5. Mobile Charging Holder

Admit it, don’t you wish you had thought of this idea from Make It Love It! We absolutely love this tip, which is perfect for rented apartments which are usually short of place and where you can’t drill too many shelves on the wall. Such an easy, economical and simple solution for your phone!

6. Makeup Organizer

If you’ve been considering getting organizers for your makeup collection or toiletries – don’t! You’ll just be adding more plastic to what’s there in your home, so why not make use of bottles that are already lying around to make this organizer from A Little Craft in Your Day? You can go with bottles of the same color if you want them matchy matchy, or make it more fun by using different colors!

7. Desk Organizer Tray

Makezine has an organizer tray project that works well on a desk as well as inside a drawer. This is perfect for all kinds of purposes – stationery like paper clips or push pins, jewelry pieces like rings and studs, or craft supplies like beads and sequins. It’s also a great idea for a junk drawer to hold batteries and other odds and ends.

8. Woven Basket

No one is going to believe you when you say that this basket has been made from a plastic bottle! Creative Jewish Mom takes plastic reuse to a whole different level by turning it into a sturdy, attractive basket. Use it to hold your yarn or your little one’s stuffed animals. You can also use colors that match your decor while making the basket.

9. Candy Holder

I wouldn’t suggest keeping large stocks of candy at home, but whenever you have to, like for a family get-together, do it in an attractive way, like they’ve done at Home Dzine! You can make this stand as big or as small as you like, depending upon the size and number of plastic bottles you have. Works great for dry fruits and nuts too – if you’re keeping things healthy!

10. Plastic Bag Dispenser

Can one of the ways to reuse plastic bottles be a solution for reusing plastic bags too? Sounds like a weird question, but Craft your Happiness shows you how it’s done! Absolutely love the way plastic bottles have been painted and made over to become plastic bag dispensers. Now, you can use those single use plastic bags multiple times, and reduce your contribution to the landfill.

11. Piggy Bank

Martha Stewart has a solution that would be the topper in a list of ways to reuse plastic bottles for kids! You don’t need to buy a money box for your child; not when you can make a piggy bank yourself out of a plastic bottle! This is great for younger kids who get a visual idea of how their money grows when they save instead of spend.

12. Table Top Planters

The lockdown has turned many of us into plant Moms and Dads, and if you’re among them, you’re probably in need of more planters for your babies! Dipfeed shows us how a simple soda bottle can become a really cute planter, which you can customize in more ways than one. The best part is how the plant becomes the ‘hair’ of the planter!

13. Hanging Planters

If you don’t have too much surface space, a hanging planter is the way to go, and Easy Peasy Creative shows us how to get one that suits all kinds of decor, especially farmhouse. You can use a bottle of a medium to large size for this, and you can use them as they are. However, the twine and paint does give it some extra charm!

14. Paper Cup Dispenser

How cool is this paper cup dispenser from Craft your Happiness? Unless it was in this list of ways to reuse plastic bottles, you wouldn’t imagine it was made from a soda bottle! You can paint it and label it any way you like, and make it match your decor perfectly – that’ the beauty of DIY!

15. Pasta Container

Craft your Happiness wows us again, this time with a pasta dispenser! If you like spaghetti, you know that storing it can be a challenge, thanks to it’s size and shape. However, this is a genius way of storing long pastas like fettuccine and spaghetti, without having to break them or leave them in their opened packs.

16. Crochet Tote Bag

Planning a trip to the beach and need a waterproof bag? Or maybe you just need a catchall for your kids toys and game pieces. If so, check out this project from Filth Wizardry, where plastic bottles are beautifully converted into tote bags – simply by adding some crochet handles!

17. Recycled Owl Storage Pouch

Owls are all the rage in accessories and even decor, and The Crafty Swedes have made use of this trend to make these cute owl shaped plastic pouches! This is a great idea for smaller plastic bottles like shampoo bottles. Let the kids get busy with ‘dressing’ up the owls and they can then hold anything from stationery to cutlery!

18. String/Yarn Dispenser

This is a great tip for crafters who find their yarn constantly running around the place. This idea from Craft your Happiness uses a plastic bottle to contain the yarn, while also looking incredibly beautiful! Now your crafting session just became more enjoyable with this eye candy!

19. Snack Bowl

Most soda bottles have pretty sturdy bases which don’t leak, which make them excellent to use as bowls! So the next time you’re having an IPL watchathon or weekend Netflix binge session, take out the nuts and snacks in this DIY snack bowl from Recyclart.

20. Herb Greenhouse

Herbs are a little trickier to grow than other plants, and if you’re doing it for the first time, you need to ensure that they get the right conditions to grow. If your herb requires humidity and moisture in a greenhouse setting, make it yourself with this plastic bottle hack from Home Talk.

You can check out other posts in the Recycling Series here.

This post is a part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon.