There are over 10,000 different kinds of plastic throughout the world, but only 5% of that plastic is recycled. The plastic that isn’t recycled is then thrown into our overcrowded landfills, where it can take up to 700 years to decompose and break down.

So besides giving your plastic to a recycling center or to a company like TerraCycle, you can prevent land pollution by reusing your bottles in creative and fun ways.

I Bet You Never Thought of…

Here are 10 ways you can reuse a plastic soda bottle:

1. Potpourri Holder – Cut out the bottom of the bottle, put in the potpourri and cover the opening with lace and ribbon.
2. Piggy Bank – We all the value of a dollar, so saving every single penny counts. Cut a slit in the bottle and drop in your coins, but don’t open it and take it to a Coinstar facility until it’s full.
3. Coffee Maker – Cut the bottle into two pieces. Turn the top upside down so it is a funnel. Hold the funnel in place, and then place a coffee filter inside. Put ground coffee on the filter and pour hot water over the filter. It’s the cheapest coffee maker you’ll ever find!
4. Motion Ocean Bottle – If you’re the creative type, then you can fill the bottle with half water/half oil. Add some food coloring, glitter and anything else shiny that is small enough to fit, and be amazed at how cool it can look.
5. Planter – Just cut out the bottom, add some soil and your favorite plant, and you have an eco-friendly plastic pot.
6. Ready-to-Use Ice Packs – Fill the bottle about 2/3 full and freeze. You can use it to heal a sore ankle after a run in the park, or fill it up with a warm drink so it can be cold in a few minutes.
7. Flying Insect Trap – Cut the top off the bottle and turn it upside down as a funnel. Tape the funnel in place and add some soda, orange juice or other sweet liquid. Any pesky flies or other flying insects will be able to get in, but since they can’t fly upward, they will be trapped inside the bottle.
8. Candle Holders – If you have some long candlesticks and want to prepare a nice, cheap romantic dinner for you and your significant other, cut the top of the soda bottles off, sit them on the table with the funnel-side upward and insert the candles into the holes. Very useful and practical. http://www.designboom.com/eng/education/plasticbottle.html
9. Plastic Bottle Trellis – Found the directions for this on DIYNetwork.com.
10. Paint Trays – Cut out the bottom of the bottle and use it as a paint tray. It’s easy to wash and convenient to carry.

Don’t forget that you can incorporate your aluminum cans, old CDs and even bottle caps into your green works of art.