Recycling your perfume bottles

The first step is to remove the exterior cap off the perfume bottle and pull off the nozzle.

Hold the perfume bottle and pull upwards on the nozzle while holding your bottle on a level surface. You can recycle the cap and the nozzle (if you don’t want to use them for decorative purposes!).

Snip off the plastic valve and loosen the metal around the bottle’s neck. Cut away any additional plastic encasing that the metal connects to the top of the perfume bottle with your scissors.

Throw away the plastic with your usual plastic recycling.

Use your knife to cut around the base of the exposed metal connector, and pry up the metal around the top of the bottle so it begins to loosen.

Here’s where the pliers come in. Use the needle-nose pliers to remove the metal around the neck. 

Hold the bottle securely with one hand, and use your other hand to grip the now loosened metal with the pliers and gently pull the metal off of the bottle.

Throw the metal connector into the recycling the bin.

If there are a few last drops of perfume left, pour it into another glass to save it.

If you cover the glass, you can simply splash the perfume onto your skin until it’s finished. 

Rinse the perfume bottle with hot water twice. 

Once you’ve rinsed with water, wash out your perfume bottle with warm, white vinegar.

Heat 120ml of white vinegar in the microwave at 20-second intervals until it is warm (not hot!) Pour the warm vinegar into your perfume bottle until it is ¾ full, then plug the opening of the bottle with your finger and shake for 30 seconds.

Then, leave your bottle on the side for an hour with the white vinegar still in the bottle, so as much of the perfume scent is removed as possible.

After the hour is up, pour it down the sink, then rinse the sink down with water.

Give your bottle a bath!

Wash your bottle in hot water with some washing-up liquid, and soak the bottle for five minutes before rinsing. To make sure it’s extra clean, use a bottle brush to get to the inside of your bottle.

Place your clean bottle in direct sunlight, ideally outside for 24 hours, which will allow the inside of the bottle to dry completely.

Et voila! Your perfume bottle is clean and recyclable.

Either drop it off at your local glass recycling centre or turn it into something creative for your home, such as a vase for some garden-picked flowers or fill it with micro fairy lights for a cosy light show.