Plastic bottles are non-biodegradable. They are photodegradable which essentially means they break down into smaller plastic fragments. From rivers to soil pollution, the fragments then accumulate contaminants that pollute and damage every part of our ecosystem.
This affects every single person, as we live off the ground. In recycling facilities not enough people recycle plastic for other uses. There’s not any recycling stations around you at times. For all kinds of projects a plastic bottle can be repurposed and reused. Plastic bottles come in almost every size you might think of so use for them is as far as your imagination can carry you away.
In this article we will talk about 15 different uses of plastic bottles for survival. Some of these concepts can be used frequently while others are one use. Reusing plastic in every way is helping to do your bit for our world and helping to live a healthy life.
1. Seed Starters
Cut the top off the planter and fill it with soil, and start your seeds. You can also leave the top partially attached so that it can close back for the start of a single mini seed greenhouse.
Another choice is to split the bottle and plant your seeds in the top section, and then add some water in the bottom section.
Remove the lid and place the top half into the water for a seed starting waterer.
2. DIY Hose Sprinkler
This can be difficult to get the bottle to match your water hose. You just cut a bunch of tiny holes inside the jar and turn your water on. Place this for easy watering in your garden, or yard.
3. Trash Container
What better way to clean up garbage than recycled plastic. By running wire through bottles that form a circle, you can form a trash can for outside gatherings. Place them tops to bottom and have an original and usable trash bin in no time.
4. Fishing Bobber
When we fish or have a snapper turtle that we are after we use a bigger bottle to float the line and hook around with. Make sure you have air in your bottle, and no hole. Add your line and hook to the bottle and seal it. Bait and throw the hook in the water, and wait.
You’re going to know when you’ve got something, as the jug will be bobbing up and down. Just drag in your catch, and there you’ll have your dinner.
5. Bird House
You can cut a large hole in the side of the bottle and put a stick in it for a perch. Hang it in a tree or somewhere birds like to gather. In no time you will have a little bird family that you can watch.
6. Bird and Squirrel Feeders
As a survivor, you’re likely hunting to provide you and your family with meat. Having a feeder for squirrels is a way to fatten them for squirrel season and then they feed you. You can transform a plastic bottle into a bird feeder and hang up, or you can tie it to a tree and feed the squirrels you can look out for your window.
7. Carry Water to Critters
We save our milk jugs in my house to bring water for the dogs and the chickens. The jugs are small enough to support even the kids with this chore. And freezing bottles of water will help keep your rabbits cool during the hot summer months.
8. Greenhouse
We’ve also seen greenhouses in plastic bottles. For this big project you should save all your bottles, which can be used for years.
The greenhouse can be constructed as big or as small as you wish or need.
The bottles can also be used to create a hoop building.
The plastic bottles can absorb heat and condensation and allow for light in.
Related: 23 Things a Prepper Should Never Throw Away
9. Maple Sap Collection
You have many choices when gathering sap from your maple trees. In a jar or milk bottle, you can collect. My system of collection consists of food grade tubes which drain into jugs. For the tube to go in, we cut a hole in the lid, and it collects my sap. This way is clean and few if any bugs get in the sap.
10. Garden Ground Waterer
This one is for watering a few plants at a time but being sure that they get plenty of water at a slower pace for absorption.
Leave the lid on the bottle and cut the bottom off.
Poke holes in the sides all around the bottle.
Bury the bottle, lid side down, leaving the bottom uncovered. When it is time to water you just fill up the bottle and let it do the work. This is handy especially amongst the full flower bed and tomato plants.
11. Storage Containers
You may use a plastic container to hold a variety of items in. You can store objects like buttons, safety pins etc.
You may also use these to store in them sugar and flour. The lids will prevent them from being lost or being bugs inside.
Related: How To Start a Fire With a Water Bottle
12. Planters
Planters can be constructed from the different sizes of plastic bottles. You can plant everything in them, from herbs to flowers.
For a shallow planter, cut a hole in the side or cute the top off to a deeper planter.
This can be hung like a hanging basket or even placed on an outdoor fence or a vertical gardening wall.
13. Dry Storage
When I say dry storage that is different from storing dry food. For stuff like fishing and boating you can use plastic bottles with lids to store products in for when you’re around water.
For dry storage, you can hold matches, tinder, and other survival items inside. If you or your bottle were to fall into the water then your things can be placed in a closed plastic bottle to keep them dry.
14. Flower Waterer
Take a plastic milk jug and punch a bunch of tiny holes in the lid and place on the jug filled with water and use it as a waterer for your flowers and raised vegetable beds.
15. Target Practice
You need to be on top of your shooting as a survivalist, whether it’s for food or safety. You can set up a shooting range to hone in on your shooting skills with plastic bottles.
The bottles can be filled with water for explosions. You may also take a hand pump and a bicycle valve stem to inject air into them. You can hear a big boom until they’re close with air and you fire it. This is a nice reuse of all kinds of plastic bottles.
There are many things you can do to help our world and plastic recycling is one of them. There is always a need for bottles as a survivalist and the uses can be very important for your day-to-day chores or outings.
