GENERATION BLUE

BLUE Actions for the Ocean GENERATION By: Samantha Darin, UHM MOP Student

Although plastic water bottles are becoming less frequently used in places such as Hawai’i, much of the world continues to use them regularly. These single-use plastic items take 450 years to decompose on average. Plastic water bottles should not be produced and purchased in the first place, but there are already a lot out there. Instead of letting them sit and decay, there are many ways in which we can reuse them.

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Multiple water bottles can create a vertical garden for a yard, fence, or wall. Simply leave the cap on and cut a hole in the side of the bottle. Fill it with dirt and plant some seeds. Strings can be used to connect the tops and bottoms of the bottles in a line so they can hang along the fence or wall.

Old water bottles can also be used as organizers for any small things around the house, such as pens and pencils or makeup brushes. They’re very easy to make–just cut the bottle down to the desired height and then press the edges against an iron to create a less jagged surface. They can also be painted at this point.

There are many more ways to repurpose plastic water bottles, as well as other types of waste. More ideas can be found online, but an imagination offers many possibilities!