Before you recycle a durable container, consider keeping it. You might discover that it's the perfect item to reuse.
That's what one shopper did in the r/sustainability subreddit with three small glass bottles.
They posted a picture of three 50-milliliter bottles, each of which was filled with a different flavored syrup: chocolate cookie, salted caramel, and French vanilla.
"Ideas on how to repurpose/reuse these 50ml glass bottles?" the original poster asked. "Best I can come up with is sauce/dressing containers for packed lunches or picnics."
Even if people in the comments hadn't suggested several alternatives, the OP's initial idea is a great place to start. Reusing glass bottles for any purpose extends the life of the objects. It also means you don't need to spend more money on additional containers.
While recycling glass can be effective, recycling rates are low in the U.S.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 12.3 million tons of glass containers were generated in 2018, while only about 3.1 million tons were recycled. The U.S. put 7.6 million tons of glass in landfills that year, and 1.6 million tons were combusted.
Reusing glass containers and reducing your consumption can have an even bigger impact than recycling. There's a reason you should reduce, reuse, and recycle in that order. Heal the Bay notes that reusing can be a realistic but economical action that considers the environment.
"Not everyone can afford to keep buying $50 reusable bottles and filters because the water in their neighborhood is not safe to drink," it says.
It's unrealistic to expect ourselves to give up plastic entirely. You can, however, save time and money by reusing things such as glass. After all, acting imperfectly for the environment is still acting for the environment.
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Giving me money back 💰 As for the glass syrup bottles, many Reddit users shared ideas for other ways the OP could use them.
"I was thinking they'd be perfect for infused oils — garlic oil, rosemary, chili etc.," said one person.
Another Redditor commented, "Would probably use them as propagation station for my pothos cuttings."
"Decorate them as poison bottles for Halloween! It's a fun DIY and you can display them every year," said a third person. This is also a great alternative to buying mass-produced decorations at a big-box store.
No matter what you choose to do with your reused glass, you'll be doing yourself and the environment a favor.
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