We’re very often asked whether people can send empty bottles back to us for recycling. That would, of course, be brilliant, but it’s actually impossible to get a bottle that has contained essential oil clean enough for someone else to use it again. There are a whole host of laws and regulations involved… But we’re also quite keen on being environmentally friendly. That’s why we’ve naturally also set up our ‘The ’Plant a Tree’ campaign and CO₂ offsetting. We also try to source our supplies as ‘smartly’ as possible, so that this has the least possible impact on the environment.
But what else can we do with those little empty oil bottles to make sure they’re used right to the very end and that you get the most out of them for as long as possible? You can, of course, reuse them yourself for your own purposes. But as well as reusing them, we’ve also got some other great tips!
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Do you often take a bath or a foot bath with bath salts? Put the empty bottles in a jar of salt or fill the bottles with a bit of Himalayan salt or Epsom salt. Leave this to infuse for a few days. Empty the bottles into your bath or foot bath and voilà, you’ve got some wonderfully fragrant bath salts! A small splash base oil Add this to your bath and your skin will feel silky smooth.
Do you have an empty bottle of a lovely essential oil for your face? This could be, for example, the Geranium, Incense, Neroli or Roos . Reuse. Then top up the bottle with the Rosehip seed oil or another light base oil for your face. After all, there’s always a bit of oil left in the bottle, which you can now put to good use. Close the bottle with a pipette and give it a good shake. You’ve now made yourself a lovely face serum! Apply it to a clean face every morning and evening.
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Fill your empty bottle with water and use a small spray cap to seal it. Shake well and place the bottle in the bathroom or toilet. It’ll come in handy there as an air freshener! Perhaps you’ve got a spray cap left over from a 50 ml spray bottle. You can easily cut this off to transform your little 10 ml bottle into a mini spray bottle! Reuse.
Do you have an empty bottle of a blend? Then pour in a carrier oil of your choice and reuse the oil on your skin. Sometimes I like a blend so much that I’d love to have it as a perfume! This way, you can enjoy wearing the scent whilst making the most of the very last bit of oil in the bottle.
Take the empty bottle into the shower and rinse it out there. The scent will be released beautifully and you can enjoy this wonderfully relaxing shower once more 😉
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Is the bottle of an oil that’s effective against bacteria and viruses empty? If so, top it up with water and seal it with a spray cap. Use the mixture whenever your hands feel dirty! It’s always handy to carry in your bag when you’re out and about.
Pop your empty bottle in the dishwasher and enjoy the lovely scent on your washing-up! Your bottle is now nice and clean, so you can use it for your own blend! Have a go with different oils and create your own favourite blend!
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And here’s one last lovely tip: pop a cute little flower into each of your little bottles and arrange a few of them together on the table or on the windowsill 😉. It looks absolutely lovely!
Do you have any fun and useful ideas? If so, please let us know, and we’ll add your tips to our blog!
Tips and comments from our readers
Anne: ‘Hi, I find the small bottles more practical and easier to carry around. So I keep refilling them from a large bottle. When the large bottle’s empty, I think I’ll add them to my collection of brown glass bottles or use them as vases!’‘
Ingrid: ‘Hey everyone, I actually reuse your bottles for my own creations – especially after the fiasco of buying bottles elsewhere and the bottoms falling out. I got a refund for the bottles, but not for the wasted oil. So I’m happy with these sturdy bottles.’
Marlous: ‘What a great idea, that recycling! ’I’ve also got an old spray bottle in the bathroom, but it’s filled with apple cider vinegar and water, which I use to spray my hair after using a natural soap. It works a treat!’
Dianne: ‘You can also remove the dropper cap from an almost empty bottle and place the bottle in a foot bath, perhaps combined with an emulsifier, Himalayan salt or magnesium flakes. That way, you can get the very last bit out of the bottle. Or simply leave it with the cap off in a cupboard or bathroom – that way, the scent will linger a little longer. You can also add some Himalayan salt to the empty bottle, put the cap back on, and place it in a room. (You can also clean out the bottle and then fill it with another oil mixed with salt.) That’s how you make little ’power jars’.’
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