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7 creative ideas for recycling plastic caps and bottles

Creative plastic recycling ideas

Being creative when it comes to recycling plastic bottles, caps and containers isn't just fun or functional, it's good for the environment as well. Let's take a look at 7 ideas that make recycling relaxing and a way to create original objects.

Why recycle plastic creatively?

There are many reasons to get creative with your plastic recycling.

  • Recycling plastic bottles and containers is a very sustainable activity as it extends the lifecycle of products that are usually single-use.
  • Like any creative activity, it can also be relaxing as it creates the opportunity for some alone time; or it can be fun, if you make it a family activity where children take part in the creative recycling of plastic bottles and other products.
  • And, last but not least, it can turn out to be really useful: giving new life to an old object is a great way to value things more.
  • In addition to being a creative and fun activity, recycling plastic bottles, caps, or jars allows us to minimize the possibility of them leaking into the environment: giving new life to plastic is good for our planet!

7 ideas for creative plastic recycling

Besides classic plastic bottles, large and small, your creative projects can also recycle packaging for household cleaners, cosmetic bottles, jerry cans for transporting petrol and water, and caps of any shape and color. Let's see what we can make with these objects.

1. Turn plastic bottles into a light fixture

Have you ever thought about creating a light fixture for your house out of common plastic bottles? This idea is not only beautiful, but also very easy to do.

  • First cut your PET bottle into two parts, and start cutting out flower or leaf shapes, depending on your preference. If you want to give the plastic a particular shape, just slightly heat the plastic to make it easier to mould.
  • Color the various pieces you have made in the shades of your choice and set everything aside.
  • Now take another bottle and cut it in half: pass the cable with the bulb holder up through the wider opening and fix at the top.
  • Now you can either stick the shapes you have made directly to the exterior of this bottle, or colour it as you wish and attach threads to the bottom from which the leaves, butterflies or flowers you have prepared can dangle.

You can use the same technique to decorate balconies and terrace spaces. This time turn the plastic bottles into colourful dream catchers decorated with shells, beads or colourful glass tiles that will chime in the wind.

2. Turn plastic caps into fridge decorations

How many times do we leave the shopping list or a bill to pay fixed on the refrigerator door? You can think about reusing plastic caps to make eco-friendly magnets, which will not only allow you to stop all your notes, but also make your appliance more beautiful!

Using plastic caps for creative recycling is very simple.

  • You will need: corks, hot glue, button magnets, coloured markers and, of course, plastic caps.
  • Insert the cork inside the cap and secure it with glue. Repeat the same action on the uncovered side of the cork, where you are going to glue the magnet.
  • Complete the creative recycling of plastic caps by painting or decorating them as you like and create truly unique items.

3. Make cutlery holders out of plastic bottles

To make cutlery holders from creative plastic recycling, all you need are a few PET bottles and a pinch of imagination.

  • Cut the bottle diagonally, at the height you want your new cutlery holder to be.
  • Now color it as you choose and create small and delicate decorative elements using a heated needle to create flowers or circles. Et voilà, your new cutlery holder is ready to use!

4. A new life for plastic crates

Another idea for creative plastic recycling is to take the plastic crates used for fruit and vegetables and give them a new life. We can reuse them to create a new cat bed, by placing an old cushion inside and decorating the outside with scraps of recovered fabric. Another idea could be to thread raffia through the various holes of the crate, giving it the appearance of a woven basket.

5. Basket with plastic caps

Plastic caps can also be reused to create a small, colorful basket.
This recycling also requires very little: in fact, you only need to cover an existing basket with the caps or buy a metal frame, and then cover it as you like.

6. Plastic bottles used as vases

The many ideas for creative recycling do not end there. By giving new life to plastic you can make new objects, some of them useful for your balcony or terrace.
What you need, again, is an ordinary plastic bottle (and its cap), which you can turn into a vase.
Cut the bottle in half and make small holes: insert soil and seedling and you're done.
You can also think about creating a small space dedicated to herbs or small flowers: in this case you will have to lay the bottle horizontally and cut off the top, making small holes for water drainage.
A hanging vase is a sure scenic effect. All you will have to do is tie the two ends of the bottle-which, as seen earlier you will have opened at the top-to a point at the top: climbing plants are very suitable for this type of vase.

7. From jerry cans to useful watering cans

Not just jars: recycling plastic can be really useful for those who love gardening. An old plastic jerry can can still be useful on the balcony if turned into a handy watering can. This recycling is really very simple.
Just poke holes in the canister cap, perhaps using a red-hot needle to make it easy: there goes your watering can bottle.

Creative recycling for kids

There are so many ideas for creative recycling of plastic.
Giving new life to plastic is not only good for the environment, but also stimulates manual dexterity and creativity and is therefore a suitable activity for everyone.
Through creative recycling, in fact, it is possible to stimulate children's ecological awareness. Link to article 7 activities to raise children's environmental awareness
For example, plastic caps can become pawns for board games, or replace checkers.
And why not turn the caps into fun stamps? All that will be needed is some styrofoam - with which to create the figure to be stamped - which we will glue onto the full part of the cap. The stamp is ready!


Discover other ideas:

There is an even more sustainable option than creative plastic recycling

Plastic pollution is a very serious problem that the Earth has been contending with for some time now.

To tackle it, the new European SUP directive has officially banned single-use plastic. But above all, we need to change our habits and adopt a greener lifestyle.

What can we do as individuals? Limiting our consumption of bottled water is an important first step: always carry a water bottle with you, to refilled if you are out and about or from the tap at home. Acea Waidy Wow is your greatest ally, helping you find the nearest drinking fountain and monitor your environmental impact .