Recycling Plastic Containers at Home

Instead of tossing away those plastic jugs and bottles, give them new life by recycling them for use around your home. They’re especially handy in the workshop.

--If you use a lot of carpenter’s or other glue, buy it in large quantities and use old plastic mustard or catsup squeeze bottles to dispense it. You’ll save money and avoid the hassle of running out of glue in the middle of a project. Be sure the bottles have twist seal nozzles or flip-top caps. And remove the labels and clearly mark the new contents.

--Make a string dispenser from a 2-liter plastic soda bottle. Cut off the bottom. Then mount the top half upside-down on the wall with the string coming out of the bottleneck.

--Keep nails, nuts and other fasteners handy by storing them in plastic peanut butter jars attached to the bottom of a wood shelf over your workbench. Simply screw the lids to the underside of the shelf. Use a washer under each screwhead for security.

--The type of baby wipes container with a slit on top makes a good holder for your brushes while they soak in paint thinner or water. The slit will hold the handles of most brushes securely. Make sure the bristles stay about one-half inch above the bottom of the container to keep them out of the settling paint debris.