How to Recycle Your Perfume Bottles
Many perfume bottles have pretty designs and would be great for reuse. Once disassembled and washed, perfume bottles can be reused as normal or made into your favorite crafts. If you’re not the creative type, there are several ways to donate to collectors and artisans online to give perfume bottles new life.
Recycle Perfume Bottles
1. Find out what types of glass are accepted at your local recycling center.
Call a recycling center to ask if they accept perfume bottles. They will tell you whether they accept all types of glass or only certain types.
1. You need to know, some recycling places do not accept crystal bottles.
2. Check the bottom of the perfume bottle for the recyclable glass symbol.
Look at the number in the triangular arrow symbol at the bottom of the bottle. Figure 70 is mixed glass. The number 71 is clear glass. The number 72 is green tinted glass, and 79 is for gold-plated glass.
1. By checking the numbers, you can find out whether the glass bottles are acceptable at your local recycling center or not.
3. Contact the perfumery manufacturer to find out what the bottle is made of.
Contact the customer service of a perfume manufacturer on the internet. Call the number and ask if they can tell you what type of perfume bottle it is if there isn’t a recycling symbol on the bottle.
1. Although rare, there are also manufacturers who accept their bottles back for recycling. There’s nothing wrong with asking.
4. Put the perfume bottle in the recycling container with the other glass.
Follow the recycling site’s rules regarding separating glass from other materials. Take the recycling container out of the house on garbage collection day.
1. If your local recycling center doesn’t accept glass perfume bottles, consider selling or donating instead.
Unpacking and Washing Perfume Bottles
1. Unscrew the bottle and pull out the nozzle.
Pull the nozzle out by hand perpendicularly while holding the bottle on a flat surface. Once removed, set the nozzle aside.
1. Discard the cap and nozzle if you don’t need it for decoration.
2. This step applies to standard spray caps. Perfume caps that use corks will not have a sprayer because you can drip perfume on certain parts of the body. You can skip this step and go straight to the bottle-cleaning part.
2. Cut the plastic valve and loosen the metal around the neck of the bottle.
Observe the top of the bottle and cut off the metal wrapping plastic that connects the cap to the bottle using a sharp knife or scissors. Throw away the plastic. Carefully, use the tip of the knife to pry around the base of the metal connector.
1. Pry off the entire metal edge on the top of the bottle until it loosens.
2. Do not apply too much force to the thin neck of the bottle, otherwise the bottle may break.
3. Use sharp pliers to pry off the metal in the neck of the bottle.
Hold the bottle firmly with one hand and use your other hand to pinch off any loose metal with pliers. Hold gently, then pull the metal perpendicularly until it dislodges from the perfume bottle.
1. Be careful when pulling on the metal, lest the perfume remaining in the bottle spill out.
2. Throw the metal in the trash.
4. Discard or store any remaining perfume.
Pour the perfume into another glass bottle if you want to save it. Close the bottle for safety. Otherwise, throw any perfume you don’t want to keep in the sink, then rinse the drain with hot water.
1. You can toss any leftover perfume in the trash if you like, but trash will have a strong odor until you throw it outside.
5. Wash the perfume bottle under running hot water.
Turn on the tap water with a gentle stream, not a rush. Fill the perfume bottle under running hot water, then throw it away. Repeat this process at least twice.
1. The strong current can make the water splash and spread the lingering scent throughout the room.
6. Wash the bottle with warm white vinegar.
Heat 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) of white vinegar in a mug and microwave for 20 seconds until warm but not hot. Over the sink, pour the vinegar into the rinsed perfume bottle up to ¾ of the bottle’s height. Cover the mouth of the bottle with your finger and shake it for 30 seconds.
1. Let the bottle of vinegar sit in the sink for at least an hour to wash off any scent residue.
2. After an hour, pour the used vinegar down the sink and rinse with water to remove any residual odor.
7. Wash the bottle in hot water and dish soap.
Fill a sink with hot water deep enough to submerge the perfume bottle. While filling the sink, add a few drops of dish soap. Soak the bottle in soapy water for 5 minutes.
1. Use a bottle cleaning brush to clean the inside with soap. Wear gloves to protect yourself if the water gets too hot to touch.
2. Rinse the bottle with clean water.
8. Dry the bottle outside, in the sun.
Place the bottle outdoors or on a bright window frame indoors to dry. If it hasn’t dried within 24 hours, you can speed up the process by using a tube of compressed air to spray the inside of the bottle.
1. Follow the directions for use on the compressed air cylinder label, including possible safety precautions.
Selling and Donating Perfume Bottles
1. Donate bottles to others through free marketplaces on the internet.
Create a post about your perfume bottle on Freecycle or Craigslist, for example. You can also donate empty or filled bottles for free to people who live near you.
1. Don’t publish personal contact information on these forums, such as phone numbers or email addresses. Both of the above platforms have built-in features so that interested people can message each other without having to see your personal information.
2. Don’t meet the recycler in a secluded place and don’t invite them to your home either. Many local police stations can serve as meeting places for purchases or exchanges of transactions on the internet.
2. Make a list of auction sites on the internet if you have a rare perfume bottle.
Contact potential collectors on online auction platforms ( online ), such as Ebay. Create a post, complete with photos and an explanation of the condition of the item. Ornate and rare perfume bottles can sell for millions.
1. You can submit the lowest possible initial auction price to attract potential buyers.
2. Browse the catalogs at the International Perfume Bottle Association to find out if your perfume bottle is valuable or not.
3. Sell to collectors or crafters on Etsy if you have a large number of bottles.
Create a listing on an online marketplace for crafts and antiques, such as on Etsy. Shoppers used to scour sites like this to reuse beautiful perfume bottles and materials for crafts. While other buyers may like to collect attractive bottles as home decorations.
1. Typically, to sell on Etsy, you’ll need to set up a virtual shop where potential buyers can browse your items. A marketplace like this is most reliable if you have lots of perfume bottles you want to sell.
4. Donate full or half-empty perfume bottles to charities such as the Salvation Army.
Take the perfume to thrift stores so others can enjoy the great scent at a discount. Be aware, many thrift stores do not accept perfume or fragrance bottles. Find out beforehand.
Give New Life to Your Perfume Bottle
1. Use an empty bottle as a flower vase.
Fill the perfume bottle that has been cleaned with warm tap water. Put some thin flowers, such as baby’s breath stems, into the bottle as a beautiful decorative decoration.
1. Place a vase of perfume bottles on a windowsill, on a dresser, or on a kitchen counter to add some cheer to your home.
2. Reuse bottles as containers for homemade perfume.
Make your own fragrance by mixing your favorite essential oil . Dilute the oil mixture with vodka or other neutral alcohol and apply it to the spot behind the ear where the pulse is, or on the wrist for a subtle scent.
1. A little essential oil makes a lot of perfume. For perfume, generally, just mix 10-12 drops of essential oil and half as much water as the number of drops of oil added, then pour 60 ml of alcohol.
2. Shake this homemade perfume before use to mix the oils and the solution to combine. You can close the bottle with a small cork, which can be purchased at a craft store.
3. Display the bottle as a table decoration for a wedding or party.
Choose a beautiful empty perfume bottle as a table decoration for a wedding or baby shower. You can mix and match vintage bottles among vases of various sizes and fill them with flowers for a sophisticated and eclectic look.
1. Bottles whose scents are timeless, such as Chanel No. 5, can give your event a touch of classic elegance.
4. Use a half-empty bottle as a perfume.
Place an almost empty perfume bottle in the wardrobe for a subtle fragrance. The remaining perfume in the bottle is enough to add a subtle scent to your wardrobe.
1. For this one use, leave the nozzle in place, don’t throw it away. Just unscrew the bottle and place the almost empty perfume in the cupboard.
5. Turn bottles into suncatchers or light catchers or ornaments.
Tie a string around the perfume bottle to turn it into a hanging decoration. You can hang it on a Christmas tree or on a hook on a windowsill as a pretty suncatcher.
1. Bottles that have ridges or exterior patterns on the inside of the glass can refract a lot of light and make great suncatchers.
6. Create an elegant candle holder.
Put a small birthday candle in the mouth of the perfume bottle for a small elegant light. You can use these candles as an alternative to tea lights for a meditation room or just place them on the dining room table to create a serene dinner setting.
1. Use a candle that fits the mouth of the bottle for a better fit. When the candle is lit, the melt will run down the walls of the bottle.
2. Replace the candle with a new one when it burns out. Wax drips on the bottle can add a romantic touch to this glass candlestick.
7. Use the bottle as a room diffuser.
Fill the perfume bottle halfway with aromatic essential oils or room perfume. Insert some wooden sticks (such as skewers) into the bottle with the sharp end down. The oil will travel up the logs and slowly spread a nice scent throughout the room.
1. The toilet room is a suitable place to place an elegant room diffuser.
2. Make your own essential oil blend according to your taste. You can purchase essential oils online or at your local health food store.