3 ways to reuse plastic bottles

Easy and affordable ways to live a little greener and help the planet

From first aid to garden aid there’s plenty of uses for plastic

Ice packs

Ice packs are great for soothing minor cuts and burns. Fill your bottle halfway with water, screw the cap back on, and lie it horizontally in the freezer.

Watering device for plants

Make a DIY drip irrigator with a few holes in the bottle’s cap. Tip the bottle upside down and cut off the bottom near the base. Dig a hole next to the plants you want watered and bury the bottle so that the cap is facing down and the top is a few centimetres above ground. Secure it in place with soil and keep the bottle topped up with water.

Storage containers

The bottom half of plastic bottles can be turned into storage containers. Simply cut the top off and remove the rough edge either by filing it smooth with an emery

board or covering it with tape.

OceanSaver Pods are a new range of plant-based water-soluble cleaning pods that transform into liquid cleaner when added to water. They are fully biodegradable and can be added to an existing 750ml trigger spray bottle with warm water. We love the Spring Clean Collection (£6.99), which includes anti-bac, kitchen cleaner, bathroom cleaner, multi-purpose cleaner and floor cleaner. Single EcoDrops are available from £1.50.

■ Available at Sainsbury’s, selected M&S stores and Ocado

■ Do you have a brilliant green initiative in your area you’d like to tell us about? Write to Yours at the address on p3, marking your envelope ‘Go Green’