What ways to recycle ... 1 ltr plastic milk and soda bottles

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What ways to recycle ... 1 ltr plastic milk and soda bottles
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Mustang

Joined: 15 Jul 2005
Posts: 768
Location: Sunny Suffolk

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 11 7:48 pm Post subject: What ways to recycle ... 1 ltr plastic milk and soda bottles
I seem to acquire loads of plastic 1 ltr milk bottles (the square ones) and 1 ltr bottles of pop. It is not possible to buy the contents of said bottles without some form of packaging. So, what can I do with the empty bottles? I recycle some, but always seem to have more left over and I hate to throw them. Any inspirational ideas?

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9891
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 11 7:50 pm Post subject:
save the 1 litre pop bottles for making your own elderflower cordial and champagne.. then you wont need to buy more

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 11 7:50 pm Post subject:
Freezing stuff? Homebrew?

Bebo

Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 12590
Location: East Sussex

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 11 7:54 pm Post subject:
I cut the milk bottles up into strips and use them to label my seedlings.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 11 7:56 pm Post subject:
You can make scoops for dog biscuit/chicken food out of the milk cartons.

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9891
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 11 7:56 pm Post subject:

Bebo wrote:

I cut the milk bottles up into strips and use them to label my seedlings.

ah i save my yoghurt pots for that - but have cut bits of plastic milk bottle to make tie on labels for jars of jam etc

Pilsbury

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 5645
Location: East london/Essex

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 11 7:59 pm Post subject:
Fill the milk bottles with soup and freeze, they fit well into the freezer and you can defrost in the fridge and then pour out a bowl of soup to warm up adn keep the rest in the fridge for later

Jo S

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 5174
Location: Somerset

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 11 8:00 pm Post subject:
Wild bird food holders

naomij

Joined: 03 Mar 2011
Posts: 379
Location: Kent coast

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 11 8:08 pm Post subject:
I suggest inventing an ingenuous system whereby you fill them with soil then thread them onto a stick, thereby saving the environment and the world food shortage, huzzah! Alternatively, use a milkman! I love milk bottles. I am saving the lids for no reason at all and considered starting a thread asking for suggested uses for them.

cqueenie

Joined: 26 Jul 2009
Posts: 707
Location: Shetland

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 11 8:20 pm Post subject:

Pilsbury wrote:

Fill the milk bottles with soup and freeze, they fit well into the freezer and you can defrost in the fridge and then pour out a bowl of soup to warm up adn keep the rest in the fridge for later

Genius!

Pilsbury

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 5645
Location: East london/Essex

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 11 8:22 pm Post subject:

cqueenie wrote:

Pilsbury wrote:

Fill the milk bottles with soup and freeze, they fit well into the freezer and you can defrost in the fridge and then pour out a bowl of soup to warm up adn keep the rest in the fridge for later

Genius!

why thank you

Mustang

Joined: 15 Jul 2005
Posts: 768
Location: Sunny Suffolk

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 11 8:48 pm Post subject:

Fantastic! Loads of suggestions.

* make and use for elderflower cordial and champagne. I make kumbucha and use some pop bottles for this. But I haven't made elderflower cordial/champagne for a couple of years, so will do this.

* Freeze stuff. I am a dehydrator rather than a freezer-type person, so only a tiny freezer which I use for stuff such as milk. But when I do freeze stuff, I do re-use bottles for this.

* Homebrew. Ah ... well I am just about to put a brew on, so will put some pop bottles aside for that.

* Seedling labels. I live near a horticultural wholesaler and a couple of years ago bought about 2000 plant labels for a few pennies ... so I doubt I would run out of labels soon.

* Pet food scoops. I'll definitely do this one.

* Tie on jam-jar labels. I don't tend to make jam (not got a sweet tooth) but still an interesting idea.

* Wild bird feeders. Another one to try.

* Saving the world by filling and threading them. Uh ...

* Use a milkman. I get raw milk from a local farm. As much as I would like to use milkman, they don't sell raw milk. My mum gets her milk from a milkman though, so does that count? Thread the milk bottle tops onto string and hang out as bird scarers.

Any more?

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 11 9:13 pm Post subject:
Cut the clear ones and use a third as mini cloche on tender seedlings and the two thirds can be half buried next to growing tomato plants, top side down and water into them. It's working well on mine. The soup container idea is great though!

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 11 9:24 pm Post subject:
Can you not ask the suppliers to fill your own re-useable containers, or is it part of their obligation to supply it in new, clean containers?

perlogalism

Joined: 27 Nov 2009
Posts: 440
Location: Near Welshpool

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 11 9:42 pm Post subject:
We cut all our milk "bottles" down to 7cm and cut a finger sized hole in the bottom. These are then used as seedling pots which cost nothing Even better, we've just sold 300 Strawberry plants and 50 Tomato plants in these.

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