We’ve become a society that appreciates disposability over durability.

Recycling is on the rise, but we still toss out way more than we reuse.

Plastic bottles are one of the biggest offenders usually ending up in the trash, or even worse, tossed out into nature.

There are ways to repurpose those 20-ounce containers. If you don’t want to build a ship out of that plastic, you can use sand or soil to fill the bottles that are often collected at recycling centers or in clean-up drives, then stack them  to create walls. Sand, concrete or adobe are packed around the rows of bottles to add strength creating homes for those who don’t have the monetary resources to buy standard building materials in some parts of the world. Another unusual bit of recycling in some of these homes is the way CD cases are used to construct windows. This bottle construction method is also used to build cisterns in areas where water is a commodity that is hard to come by.

Once you get a plastic bottle house built, there are plenty of pieces of cool recycled furniture to put in it. You can even find art from recycled Red Bull cans to use for decorating.

For those who already have a home but are blessed with a green thumb, another way to reuse the bottles is by building a green house. Instead of packing mud or concrete around the clear plastic containers, they are left uncovered to allow the heat of the sun to pass through and nurture and provide warmth for young plants.

Once you’ve used up all the plastic from your garbage for you green house, you might want to check out these other tips on using garbage in your garden.

Inspiration Green has lots more images of these creative recycling constructions.

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