Americans use a lot of glass bottles and containers. In fact, according to The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, we throw out more than 11 million tons of glass bottles and containers each year. Luckily, most recycling centers do take glass containers, and recycling glass saves up to 30% of the energy used to make “new” glass from the raw materials.

But if a town doesn’t offer curbside recycling or you doesn’t live near a recycling center, how do you handle old bottles and glass containers? Fortunately, glass containers have many uses beyond their original purpose.

Bottle Trees

Got a lot of old glass bottles? Make a bottle tree. Empty glass bottles are placed over the bare branches of a short, often dead tree.

According to Mississippi Encyclopedia, the tradition of the bottle trees took hold in the Congo region of Africa during the 900s.

Folklore tells the story of evil spirits who become trapped in empty bottles overnight. The wind blowing through the bottles is supposedly the sound of the spirits trapped inside, but they’re destroyed in the morning sunshine.

The practice carried over to the United States around the 17th century as a result of the Atlantic Slave Trade. Records from Smithsonian Gardens shows the tradition of the bottle tree grew in the Western Hemisphere on the Caribbean islands and made its way to Texas and across the Southeast via enslaved persons in the 17th and 18th centuries.

While cobalt blue was once the preferred color for bottle tree ornaments, that’s changed to any brightly-colored bottle the homeowner wants to use. People can use a short tree that’s already in their yard or buy a metal “tree” — rather like an artificial Christmas tree with no needles on it.

Some homeowners who have short crepe myrtle trees use those to put the bottles on. The bottles may be placed on another yard ornament if no trees are available. It’s a good way to repurpose several bottles at once.

Not only are these bottle trees pretty to look at, but they’re reputed to keep evil spirits away from the house and bring good luck to the homeowners who have one.

Flower Vases

A flower vase doesn’t just have to be something you bought at the store, designed specifically to hold your flowers. Many crafters make vases out of bottles or mason jars. Remove the labels from a tiny bottle and use it to hold small flowers like wild violets, grape hyacinths, or other wildflowers.

Empty wine bottles also make great vases. They’re good for tall flowers like daisies or zinnias. Since the label adds charm and originality, there is no need to remove it if you don’t want to.

Mason jars are also good for vases. Their wider mouths are suitable for larger bouquets that work as a table centerpieces. Some crafters tie ribbon or sisal around the neck for a more festive look.

Any wide-mouth jar is also a great receptacle for dyeing flowers. Light-colored wildflowers, like Queen Anne’s lace, are especially suited for this project. Fill the mason jar with water, add several drops of liquid food coloring, and then add the flowers. In a few hours, the flowers take on the food coloring, making for a unique bouquet. If a party has a theme color, this is a cheaper option than buying custom-colored flowers from the grocery store or florist. It’s also a good science or craft project for kids.

Many organizations, including churches, schools, and community centers, may be able to use glass jars as vases or for craft projects. It’s worth contacting these places to see if they can use some old jars.

Food Preservation

Glass canning jars can be reused for a number of reasons, but washing and reusing them is a great way to cut down on canning costs. While most canning jars can be reused, the lids may have to be replaced after every use to ensure the seal stays tight and keeps the food fresh.

Although using other older glass jars, like one that used to house store-bought spaghetti sauce, would be good for canning, experts recommend forgoing that jar. These glass containers may be thinner and may have weak spots that would cause them to break under high pressure. It’s always advisable to use canning jars, but since they can be reused, the cook saves money on buying all new jars every year.

People interested in canning should read the most recent guidelines for the process to make sure their results are safe to eat, and the National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia has a complete guide to safe canning and food preservation online.

Miscellaneous Uses

Jars, in particular, have numerous uses around the home. Tiffany McCauley, with Slappy Toad, says, “I use them for dry storage for beans, pasta, and also for fridge storage for things like homemade sauces.”

With a little more ingenuity, jars can be used for numerous craft projects. Wine bottles can be repurposed as candle holders, while smaller jars work on a desk as a pencil holder. A canning jar that has seen better days can be repurposed as a button jar or pin hold for a sewing room.

Anna Chelsey from Salt in My Coffee says, “I use a bottle cutter to cut down glass bottles, then sand the top edge smooth, and pour my own candles using the jar. People love getting these for Christmas gifts!”

There are instructions online for turning a wine bottle into a hummingbird feeder or tiki torch, as well as how-tos on making a lamp from a glass container or using narrower bottles for sand art projects. Glass bottles and jars don’t have to go in the trash.

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This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.