Genius Plastic Bottle Hacks That Are Saving People A Small Fortune

No matter how environmentally conscious we are, it can be hard to avoid plastic bottles — especially when they're used as packaging for staples like milk, shampoo, and soda. Unfortunately, once you're done with the product, its container sticks around; in fact, a generic plastic bottle takes approximately 450 years to decompose. Luckily, though, you can reduce your environmental footprint by giving those empty plastic bottles a new and exciting life...

1. DIY yolk grabber

Usually, using the eggshell method to separate egg yolks means getting your hands sticky, gooey, and wet — not ideal. Instead, use an empty plastic bottle to suction the yolks up out of the whites. This is a total game-changer for those of us who can only eat egg whites. No more mess!

2. A recyclable home for your plants

Spruce up your mantel or wall with a plant holder or vase made from a plastic container. If you play your cards right, no one has to know that you have a bouquet of daisies chillin' in an old plastic bottle. Simply take your soda bottle or any plastic container and then cut the top off. Decorate the "vase" with paint that'll stick to plastic so you can paint the container whatever color you desire.

3. Bury prescription bottles in the ground to hide keys

Leaving your spare key under a rock is basically an open invitation to burglars in this day and age. So go one step further by sealing the key inside a prescription bottle and gluing a rock or a pinecone to the top. You’ll still be able to find it when you need it, but by burying it in the ground, you’re one step ahead of potential intruders.

4. A homemade pencil case

To make the coolest pencil case around, cut a bottle into halves and glue a zipper to them. Then, zip it up and decorate however you’d like — paint it like the vase, or slather it with Mod Podge and cover it with fabric. Whatever you choose to do, you or your child's pencil case will undoubtedly stand out for its homemade, sustainable quality.