Eco-Crafts: 2-Liter Pop Bottle

Midway Atoll is in the Hawaiian Archipelago. It is 150 miles from the International Date Line and is midway between San Francisco and Japan. The island chain is 2800 miles from San Francisco and 2200 miles from Japan. Midway is currently under the protection of the U.S. Fish Wild Life and Parks, Department of Interior. Midway is home to over 2 billion birds. The albatross utilizes the island chain for nesting.

A recent visit by the First Lady of the United States highlights concerns by environmentalists and bird experts about plastic garbage disrupting the bird population. Items found along the shores and in nest of the albatross include, plastic straws, bottle caps, pop bottles and toothbrushes. These items kill young birds and due to their non-biodegradable content have the capacity to travel around the globe disrupting the bird and other species habitat.

Nearly all cities and towns have plastic recycling services. It takes some effort, but these services will take your plastic garbage and recycle it for future uses thereby taking it out of the cycle of harmful events noted above. Other ideas for segregating and utilizing plastic 2 liter plastic bottle garbage for crafts and useful products include: watering irrigation systems for plants, terrariums, worm farms, and ant farms.

Watering Irrigation System:

This craft is easy and I have used it for several seasons. It is very effective in deep watering new plants and particularly useful in the hot summer months when the plants can get dry very quickly.

Items:

2 liter plastic pop bottle

Scissors or sharp knife

Watering Irrigation Spikes or

Drill with very tiny bit

The 2 liter pop bottle cap

How To:

The pop bottle should be thoroughly washed out and allowed to dry out before beginning the craft. The plastic logo and advertising can be easily removed in the washing process. At the base of the pop bottle, cut with scissors or a sharp knife the end of the pop bottle. I have measured it to be about three inches above the base.

The irrigation spikes I purchased cost around $9 several years ago. These spikes screw into the the top of the bottle. They provide a snug fit and do not leak. Recently I have seen these spikes on Ebay for less than a dollar a piece. Another method is to drill small holes in the cap of the pop bottle. If you want a slow, light saturation for your plants drill about three or four small holes in the bottle cap. For more thorough watering you can put in more holes, but you may need to monitor the caps during the summer for debris build up which may decrease the flow of the water.

In this craft you can decorate the clear plastic bottles with stenciled flowers and leafs, so the bottles do not stick out as an eye sore in the garden. I have placed the bottles along new plants that need special attention during the hot summer months. You merely insert the spike into the ground and fit the neck part of the 2 liter bottle into the spike. You fill the bottle with water and let gravity and the soil take over. During the extreme hot weather season you may need to add water to the container. It has worked very well for several seasons. I plan to utilize this spike 2 liter irrigation system for container grown new tomatoes this season.

Kid Terrarium:

This craft is great for kids. They can witness new plants growing inside the 2 liter plastic container. Use the same process of cleaning and preparing the 2 liter plastic bottle. You will need all of the items listed above, except the spikes. In addition you will need some house potting soil and several small plants. You will also need a small make up sponge.

The terrarium is made by slicing a window in the center of the 2 liter bottle. This is done by placing the bottle on its side and carving a egg shape flap on the bottle. It should be large enough for you to put your hand into the bottle. Fill the elongated 2 liter bottle with 1/4 inches of sand and potting soil. Place the small plants into the terrarium and secure them into the soil. Place a moistened make up sponge into terrarium.

Finally fasten the egg shape window with tape that can be easily removed every so often. The bottle cap should be tightened so there is no loss of moisture. The moist environment is ideal for young seedling plants and a delight for children. Place the bottle terrarium in a well lighted area of the room. Additionally you can cut a u-shape stand out of refuse cardboard for the terrarium by measuring the width of your container.

Ant Farms and Worm Farms:

The same principles outlined above can be used for ant farms and worm farm. The only difference is the need to puncture tiny holes along the top of the 2 liter bottle to allow some air for the ants and worms. The ant farm requires fine sand that can be gathered along any lake or shoreline. Fill the 2 liter bottle with about l 1/2 liters of sand for the best effect. You will need to securely seal the egg shape flap. In addition, you may place a sugar cube or sugar substance in the ant farm.

The worm farm needs rich mud from the garden. You can provide the rich moist mud by mixing some garden soil along with other enrichment. The worms can be gathered either in the garden or purchased from a fishing supply store. The worm farm like the ant farm needs some air holes and requires keeping the soil moist. I have found this environment only needs water several times a month. It depends on your soil and the environmental conditions of your area.

All of these crafts can be easily done and will delight your kids. After-wards, you can utilize the services of plastic recycling services to take care of the plastic garbage.