Oil containers and plastic bottles are undoubtedly part and parcel of our daily lives. But, an over-use of them has become a threat to the environment. It’s so much that we fear the expected apocalypse would share something with plastic. There are, however, ways through which we can help curb this problem. Apart from banning plastic production, we can also encourage people to recycle or reuse the plastic that they have. We can switch to glass or metal bottles and reuse them multiple times over. Although it might seem difficult in the beginning, with the power of habit we can do anything. If you want to start but don’t know how to do it then here are some tips to recycle empty oil containers and plastic bottles.
Tips to recycle empty oil containers
What do you do to the used oil containers after oil changes in automobiles? People often face problem in discarding these empty motor oil containers. You can of course throw them into trash bins. Each empty quart container still has about one ounce of residual oil in it. These, so called, empty bottles that are disposed annually hold millions of gallons of oil. A single oil change can generate enough toxic waste to contaminate one million gallons of drinking water. Here are some tips to recycle these empty oil containers properly.
1. Check with local recycling program
Contact your local program and find out if they accept empty oil containers. If they do, drain out as much of residual oil as possible before sending them to recycling programs. Unclean bottle often end up in landfills and pollute the ground water.
2. Washing the containers
If you decide to wash the containers before throwing them away in regular trash, take care not to dispose oily water in the drain. Take the oil to a proper disposal facility. Motor oil poses bigger environmental hazard than empty plastic containers.
3. Ask your neighbourhood Service Stations
Your local auto service stations might accept your used containers, as will some auto parts stores. Some service stations run motor oil recycling programs. These shops will most probably recycle empty bottles too. You can check in advance whether they accept empty cans as well or not.
4. Look for Government assistance
If you do not find any lube station in your locality that accepts your oily containers, contact Department of Environment Protection. They will guide you to the nearest facility that accepts your waste. You might even come to know of a way to get the containers picked up from your house if you are lucky.
5. Search the Web
Locate the nearest recycling facility using Earth911.com website. You can find out if they accept empty oil containers as well as hazardous household waste such as wood varnish, oil-based paints and mineral spirits. If they do, then dispose hazardous waste along with oil containers.
6. Reuse oil containers
Another eco friendly option is to reuse these empty oil containers. You can cut the top of the container. Use the bottom portion to organize tools and hardware in your garage. Remember that petroleum residue is harmful, so do not store anything that will be harmed by this residue.
Some more DIY ways to recycle plastic bottles and containers
The need of recycling plastic bottles is huge. Doing it the usual way might not be enough. So, here’s a list of 10 homemade products created using plastic bottles which depict nothing but the best ways to recycle plastic:
1. Recycled Plastic Bottle Garland:
Image Source : images.curbly.com
An artistically innovative creation by Diana Durkes, furniture and accessories makeover specialist, that reuses plastic soda and water bottles. The more colored plastic bottles you have, the beautiful this garland will be. The number of bottles one would require will depend upon the length of the garland one needs to create. The bottoms of plastic bottles are cut off where each bottom is transformed into a flower by cutting and unfolding. This way many flowers can be created which are ultimately tied to one another using metal wire.
2. Solar Hot Water Kettle:
It is a great way to harness solar energy for heating up water and simultaneously reusing plastic water bottles. The project would require three bottles inserted one inside another with the outermost 2 liter plastic bottle kept visibly clear. It works on the same principle as that of a solar cooker. The black spray paint coated over the 20 oz bottle absorbs heat needed to bring the temperature up of the water stored. The outermost bottle prevents from any heat escaping out.
3. Plastic Bottle Greenhouse:
Image Source : lifelab.org
This eco-friendly project utilizes around fifteen-hundred plastic bottles of size two-liters (preferable) for its construction. For building each wall of the greenhouse, columns of plastic bottles stacked one inside another are created side by side. Starting from the base, four pillars forming a square at their bottom are cemented and erected over a ground. Then, frames are formed using wood and inside these frames the columns of stacked bottles will be fixed. In a similar way, the roof and the door of the greenhouse are created. One should keep in mind using clean transparent bottles for better transparency towards sunlight.
4. Rain Gauge:
Made in a similar manner as an insect trapper, rain gauge does not require any sweet liquid to be poured in. You just have to print an accurate scale measurement over it and place it on your roof while it rains.
5. Homemade Plastic Piggy Bank:
Image Source : assets.marthastewart.com
It’s simple, it’s creative and kids would love it. This homemade plastic piggy bank uses a pet bottle over which features of a pig are crafted upon using colored brown paper. One can always open the bottle cap and insert their coins for storage.
6. Decorated Vase:
This is the most commonly seen utilization of plastic bottles at homes. The cut-bottom of a plastic bottle can be used to place a growing herb. Its outer surface can be painted as per your desire.
7. Insect trapper:
Image Source : theselfsufficientliving.com
It’s created by cutting a two-liter plastic bottle into two halves and then placing the upper half upside down inside the lower half. Then, the system is filled with any kind of sweet liquid. The insects would easily find their way in to search for the liquid but would not be able to escape out of it.
8. Fashion Accessory Bracelet:
The middle portion of the bottle is cut out which resembles a bangle and then it is accordingly decorated with ribbons, satin cloth and sequins.
9. Coin Purse:
Coin purse is made of two bottoms of plastic bottles cut out. The bottoms are elegantly zipped up and the outcome is a bohemian handy coin purse.
10. Paint Trays:
The bottom of a plastic bottle specifically a soda or a soft drink bottle can be cut out and utilized as paint trays with no much effort.
