The easiest way to dispose of liquor bottles is to take them to a local glass recycling center.
Another option would be to recycle them yourself.
You can do all kinds of fun things with old glass, from turning it into lights to using crushed bottles to make art.
Disposing of Liquor Bottles by Recycling
Recycling may be the simplest way to deal with empty liquor bottles.
However, it’s not always quite as simple as tossing the glass in the recycling bin.
Why Recycle Liquor Bottles
Liquor bottles are made of glass, which is 100% recyclable.
Whether you have one or dozens of liquor bottles sitting around, consider recycling as your first option. Recycling helps reduce pollution and care for our environment.
Glass is a particularly special recyclable material, as it can be used and reformed an infinite amount of times.
Still, only 39.8% of wine and liquor bottles are recycled.
Since liquor bottles are incredibly useful in manufacturing, recycling is the best way to dispose of them.
With correct recycling methods, the percentage of recycled liquor bottles can increase.
Problems Facing Glass Recycling
While some communities still accept glass bottles and containers in the recycling bins, others are removing that possibility.
Many good-intentioned people try to recycle their liquor bottles by leaving them for curbside pick-up. Unfortunately, much of that glass is useless.
If any type of garbage sticks to the liquor bottles, the glass becomes unusable.
Plus, recycling glass is hard for many local recycling programs. That’s simply because it tends to break. Broken glass is dangerous for recycling workers.
It can also contaminate an entire load of recycling. Broken glass makes it impossible to separate recyclable materials.
Workers may then need to throw recyclable materials into a landfill. Of course, this counteracts the recycling efforts.
Curb-Side Pick-Up for Liquor Bottles
Even though several areas no longer accept liquor bottles or any type of glass for curbside recycling, your area may.
Check with your municipality and ask if they accept glass recyclables. If so, make sure to dispose of your liquor bottles in the correct bin on the right day.
After you leave your liquor bottle in the bin, the disposal process just begins.
What Happens to That Glass?
All the recyclable waste travels to a material recovery facility (MRF). Workers then sort through it and organize it.
All the glass materials – including liquor bottles – move to another location. People remove contaminants and then separate the bottles and glass by color.
Different glass manufacturing companies then buy recycled glass.
Of all the liquor bottles and other recycled glass, 60% – or 2.4 million tons – goes to creating new liquor bottles and containers.
Other glass may become fiberglass or additives for bricks and masonry. It’s a never-ending process.
Drop-Off Centers for Liquor Bottles
If your town does not allow curbside recycling, you can still make sure your liquor bottles become a new creation.
You can find various drop-off facilities across the country. Use this map from the Glass Recycling Coalition to find one close to you.
The most popular centers are MRFs. You may be able to leave your liquor bottles at glass container manufacturers or glass recycling processors.
Of course, always check with the facility before traveling. However, they will likely accept your liquor bottles and recycle them.
Crafty Ways to Reuse Old Liquor Bottles
If your town doesn’t offer glass recycling or a nearby drop-off station, try your hand at reusing liquor bottles.
Make a Simple Water Bottle or Vase
The simplest way to dispose of liquor bottles would be to use them to hold other liquids.
Begin by removing the whiskey bottle labels. A soak under hot water or a few moments in the microwave will melt the label glue. That’s the most challenging part of the process.
After washing, you’ve got a nice bottle to hold chilled water or mixers. It’s a simple way to add a touch of elegance to your dinner table.
Another use for your old bottles might be as a vase.
A simple red rose or two in an old liquor bottle is romantic, and the most challenging part of this crafty idea is finding the flowers.
The Bottle Tree
Bottle trees are an old tradition in some parts of the country, and they’re easy to create.
They can look great in your home or even as a piece of art placed strategically on your front lawn.
You can either buy a bottle tree base or make your own.
A premade bottle tree will have a strong base and central pole with thin branches shooting off the trunk. Just slide the neck of your bottle down onto the branches.
You can also build your own.
Simply buy a thick piece of wood, drill angled holes into the trunk, and glue in wooden rods thin enough to hold your bottles, and you’ve got one crafty little use for all those wine bottles.
A Bright Idea (Fill with Lights)
How about filling those old bottles with lights instead of liquor for your next Christmas party. A colored glass bottle filled with lights can add a nice touch to a dinner party.
Get a battery-powered string of lights and thread them into your bottle. Tape the battery pack to the back of the bottle and place strategically.
And just like that, you’ve got a nice little conversation piece that’s easy to make and will brighten up any room.
Turn Liquor Bottles into Candles
If you want to invest in a bottle cutter, it’s worth the cost and makes it easy to reuse old liquor bottles.
For instance, you can use one to turn those liquor bottles into candles.
Cutting the thin neck off a bottle is surprisingly easy, and once you get the hang of it, you’ll be turning those liquor bottles into candles in no time.
You can buy paraffin or soy wax and wicks online. There are even different scents or aromas you can buy to make your candles smell good.
If you can get past the fact that you’re cutting liquor bottles, it’s a great family activity so have fun with it.
Learning to use a glass cutter is easy, and having candles around the house is always helpful, especially during thunderstorm season.
Create a Tiny Tiki Torch
You can create a tiny tiki torch for your home in case the lights go out.
Find a top and a wick that fits safely onto the top of your liquor bottle.
Pour in lamp oil, and you’ve got a homemade oil lamp that will keep the lights on when the power goes out.
Home Made Wind Chimes
You’ll need some glass cutting skills for this idea.
Cut off the bottom of your liquor bottles. Thread a string through the top of the bottle. Then attach a bell or a clapper about halfway down the bottle.
Hang that from a set of eaves or even from a tree branch, and you have a set of homemade wind chimes.
Create Bird Feeder with Birdseeds
This one is a simple idea that just requires a few woodworking skills and an understanding of gravity.
Fill your old bottles with birdseed, and then turn them upside down over a wooden platform.
The mouth of the bottle will keep most of the birdseed in the bottle. As birds eat the seed, more will seep out slowly and turn your backyard into an aviary.
Crushing It and Make Glass Art
You can also smash all that glass yourself. Separate all your bottles by color and then safely crush them into bits. Then, with the help of a nice set of gloves, try your hand at glass art.
There are a lot of ways to do this. You can glue your art into a glass frame. Hang it in a window, and you’ve got a rainbow of colors streaming into any room.
You can also opt for a large vase. Like sand art, put in layers of colored glass. Set it in the center of the dining table, and it can serve as a lovely centerpiece.
Brighten up the Bathroom
You can buy dispenser tops that will fit right onto your old liquor bottles.
Get a few of those and fit them on the top of your well-cleaned old liquor bottle.
Fill the bottles with liquid soap or whatever you need as a way to give a unique look to your bathroom.
It’s much better than having plastic hand sanitizer dispensers all over the house.
Don’t Throw It All Away
Whatever you do with your old liquor bottles, don’t just throw them in the trash. As trash goes, glass is non-toxic, but it’s also very stable, and a glass bottle will never go away.
It can be recycled over and over forever.
If it ends up in a landfill, it can stay there for a million years. So take some time to have fun with your old liquor bottles.
You might find that you have more fun disposing of your liquor bottles creatively than you did drinking the booze in the first place.
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