REUSE PLASTIC: THE SECOND LIFE OF CANS AND BOTTLES TO ENRICH OUR HOME AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT

In use for many decades but, only recently, protagonist of an important but necessary awareness campaign: let’s talk about plastic which, when abandoned or badly disposed of, becomes a mortal enemy of our planet and whose presence in the environment has reached a very worrying level. With an annual production of more than 400 million tons, its proper disposal has long become an enormously important problem.
How have we come to this? The answer is sadly simple. In addition to having a very long degradation time (from one hundred to one thousand years), plastic is often used as a “disposable” material: a dangerous combination that contributes to a huge accumulation in land and oceans, and it is above all the latter who have their own ecosystem particularly and strongly damaged by the presence of massive doses of plastic waste discharged into the waters all over the world.
Not only objects such as toys, furnishings or various tools are made of plastic: even all those containers – bags, bottles, flasks – which contain liquids, foods or detergents and that are duly thrown away once empty are made of plastic.
It is important to underline that, to date, the separate collection and the existence of recyclable plastic material (PVC, PE or PET for example) represents a significant step forward, but it is equally useful to underline how much this improvement, unfortunately, is still not enough. The percentage of recyclable and recycled plastic material is still too low and its massive use is still too high. So, what should we do? To share awareness of the use of alternative materials is certainly a solution.
Besides that, if you don’t want plastic or if you feel you can still act without it, it is always important to spread the healthy culture of not wasting and reuse, so as to give a second life to each object allowing it to serve the most varied, useful and, why not, even bizarre uses: the important thing, above all, would be to lose the unhealthy habit that sees us throw immediately in the garbage everything we think has concluded its purpose, without offering it a new and different possibility . . . Yet, reusing plastic objects, in addition to contributing to the preservation of the planet, can help to increase our creativity, making us feel more active and, yes, even happier!
Let’s take, for example, a common bottle of detergent for washing machines. Who says that once the liquid inside is finished its usefulness should be considered finished? In addition to the more classic and immediate use that would like to see it filled again with detergent on tap (which is increasingly common in major supermarkets), or other substances, there are many ways to perpetrate its existence, reusing it in its entirety or, at least, saving some of its parts. The most modern people call it “creative recycling” and, indeed, it really is.
But we were talking about our empty bottle. By cutting some of its parts, it can become practically everything in line with our abilities and depending on our being artists or, on the contrary, unaccustomed to manual skills. If we are looking for an original and practical arrangement of our small flowery balcony, here, simply by cutting the bottom of our bottle and hanging it upside down, if filled with earth and flowers, this will become a very curious flower box; and the more we hang it, the nicer our wall will be, allowing us to embellish even a small space with the fragrant colours of nature. Not only: the bottle can also be a valid case, thanks to which we can keep in order even the most “chaotic” environments.
A greenhouse, for example, or our sewing corner. By removing the part of the pouring spout and a small portion of plastic in front of the handle (which must be kept instead) we have created a convenient binder for seeds, soil, buttons, balls and more: just add small labels et voilà, our passions finally sorted and listed. The family thanks, and with her also the nature!
Precision and cleanliness, therefore: good reasons to recycle our plastic containers independently, also thinking of the smallest. Children, you know, love to draw: that’s why pencils and markers are often scattered everywhere in our homes. Lucky that by placing the bottle horizontally and simply removing part of his “belly” we will have created in a flash a handy tool compartment “by artist” of our little Raffaello. Not only: keeping the plastic container vertically and cutting a part of its surface, as to open a sort of “door”, we will have created the basis of what can become a very original castle to play!
Each bottle can be cut and modified to suit the most varied uses: once the desired shape has been given, let us arm ourselves with colours and / or coloured adhesive paper! We can transform our plastic containers as we wish, giving them the unmistakable touch. Isn’t it exciting when a common object becomes a unique accessory? A source of pride for our home and above all a way to help reduce plastic waste disposal while protecting the environment!
With plastic containers you can really let your imagination run wild. For example, canisters can be modified in the most bizarre ways due to their capacity. And so, it is possible to transform them into small chandeliers composed of their upper part (where the spout is attached to the electrical wire where to insert the bulb) or in bizarre buckets for the sea using the lower part with handle.
Starting from the simple assumption that every object as such can become everything you want, it’s really easy to invent new ways to reuse it. Still, some containers can become pretty and colourful utensils while maintaining their original shape, others can be broken up and cut in their entirety turning them 100% to make them revive as necklaces or earrings. Others, as we have seen, will become compartments for everything or various objects of great utility such as, for example, protecting switches which, placed in outdoor environments, will prevent the dangerous contact of atmospheric agents with the electrical parts.
We also paint the empty bottles and enrich them with accessories. From vase to cottage for birds, from objects to bedside lamp, from bins to watering can: plastic containers can become precious allies for home-made DIY avoiding waste and allowing those who use them to save money while having fun, perhaps even involving loved ones in moments to spend together. No excuse, now: thanks to the web, the ideas from which to take inspiration are truly endless! Yes, because, thanks to our enthusiasm, every object that we would have unwillingly thrown in the garbage can be reborn as new, unique and special, living twice and bringing with it a bit of us and our desire to leave a better planet to future generations.