The practicality! The innovation! The thrift! The waste reduction! I love it all. For years, I’ve come across many brilliant repurposes of Dr. Bronner’s packaging. Frankly, I’m floored at the creativity. I’ve tried to save all the images and ideas, and now it is high time to share my collection with you.
By an informal counting, I’ve found that the three most often upcycled packagings are the post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic bottles used for the Pure-Castile Liquid and Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner, the glass Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) jars, and the aluminum Organic Magic Balm tins.
Now mind you, I hope you are taking advantage of the reduced packaging options Dr. Bronner’s has been debuting. We have our paper carton Pure-Castile Liquid Soap Refills, available in stores and through the Dr. Bronner’s website. We have refill programs with many retailers and are happy to set up a retailer near you. (It often takes consumer demand to encourage a store to set up a refill station.) We have refill sizes of the Pure-Castile liquids (half gallon and gallon), the Organic Sugar Soaps (half gallon), and the Sal Suds (gallon).
Nonetheless, it is inevitable that at some point, you will end up with an empty but perfectly usable bottle or container and wonder what to do with it. So without further ado, here is my anthology of upcycled Dr. Bronner’s packaging. I hope you snag an idea or two and share your own in the comments!
Ideas for repurposing the Pure-Castile & Sal Suds bottles
Transform them into spray bottles
It was just your average sunny SoCal day when I discovered that the sprayers on most bottles are a standard size, which happens to be the same size as the 32 oz. and 16 oz. bottles that the Dr. B’s Castile and Sal Suds use. Search online for “spray nozzles.” You may have to trim the straw to the height of the bottle. Now you can use the bottles for your GIY All Purpose Spray, Glass Cleaner, or even just water for misting thirsty houseplants.
Transform them into squirt bottles
Similar to the spray bottle, I discovered one day that the push/pull tops often used on sports water bottles handily fit the top of the 32 oz. and 16 oz. plastic bottles. This is great for a mopping solution or toilet bowl cleaning. I found a pack by searching online for “push/pull bottle caps”.
Transform them into a pump
Yet another topper that fits on the 16 oz. and 32 oz. bottles is a pump. This makes a handy measured dispenser for laundry and other household uses.
Plant something in them
I have quite a few pictures that folks have sent me of happy plants in the colorful Castile soap bottles. This super cool wall planter was made by my colleague Benny. So that the plants don’t get waterlogged, either fill the bottom with an inch of gravel, or if they’re sitting on a surface, poke holes in the bottom and set them in a saucer. This is one of several upcycles that requires cutting off the top of the bottle. This is best done with a hacksaw or serrated knife. Please exercise care.
Hold homemade bubble solution
Back when I filmed my GIY Bubbles video, I discovered that the 8 oz. bottles are the perfect size for holding bubble solutions. Wands fit well in them and little hands can grasp them.
Make a GIY Soft Scrub squeeze bottle
If you haven’t yet whipped up a batch of GIY Soft Scrub, you really must. It’s great fun and makes polishing up grubby sinks a breeze. I always store mine in an empty Castile or Sal Suds bottle, which is handy for squirting onto tubs and sinks. You can either then use the original flip cap, or add one of the push/pull caps mentioned above.
Pack Sal Suds for travel
The smallest size the Sal Suds comes in is 16 oz., which is too large for traveling. Instead, I’ve taken an empty small Castile Soap bottle, either a 2 oz. or a 4 oz., and refilled it for on-the-go Sal Suds needs. I use this every time I travel, to wash the scarf I drip coffee on or to remove the stickiness that appeared on my handbag or to spruce up the computer case I suddenly realized looks very grimy and unprofessional.
Create a vase for fresh or artificial flowers
My colleague Melina has this little gem sitting on her desk. Made from a bottle of my beloved Almond Castile, this vase is bound to cheer the countenance of any passers-by. This is another use for which you’ll need to cut off the top of the bottle.
Ideas for repurposing Dr. Bronner’s Virgin Coconut Oil jars
Remove the label, if you’d like
This is not a necessity, but should you prefer to remove the label from the VCO jar, I’ve found it easiest to submerge the empty jar in hot soapy water and let sit for 10 minutes or til cool enough to handle. Peel off as much of the label as you can. Soak the jar awhile longer to saturate the adhesive. Use a scrubby with a sprinkle of baking soda and a few drops of Castile Soap or Sal Suds to scrub off residue. If there’s any residual adhesive, spray with hand sanitizer (i.e. alcohol) and scrub again.
Store dry goods in the pantry
Rice, beans, flour, nuts, dried pasta – my colleague Stacey reminded me to mention that these are handy go-tos for any dry food storage. Seen here is a beautiful layered bean soup mix that I’ve given as gifts. I find they make a homey decoration as well.
Store leftover or takeaway food
Similarly, my colleague Monika keeps the 30 oz. coconut oil jars to send leftovers home with friends after shared meals, “or to bring soup to a friend who could use a little extra nourishment and love 😊” In my own fridge, I constantly store leftovers in glass jars. Alas, I rarely remember to label them, which has led to some unfortunate scenarios on my family’s part. They’ve learned never to assume the contents. Coffee looks like grape juice. Turkey broth looks like apple juice. Soap cream looks like whipped cream.
Store jams/preserves/pickles
My colleague Karina reuses the VCO jars to store her homemade guava jams and other preserves. Note that the jar is not designed to sustain water bath canning, a technique used to make preserves shelf-stable. Instead use the jars for storing your various sweet fruit spreads in the fridge.
Create a Foaming Soap Pump
Back on the topic of standard-sized lids, the 14 oz. VCO jar has the same size opening as a regular-mouth pint mason jar. And, since mason jars are so very popular and versatile these days, they sell foaming pump tops that fit right on them. Search online for “foaming pump top for mason jar.” Fill the jar with a 1:3 ratio of your favorite Dr. B’s Castile and water.
Enjoy a really big cup of coffee
My colleague Jacque shared several innovative upcycles. To begin with, she shares, “My husband drinks his coffee out of an old 30 oz Coconut Oil jar every morning. He has an extra-large beer cozy (made from neoprene) that he has on the outside. He loves the size of the jar and how it fits in his hand. Plus, coffee cups don’t fit well in his truck’s cup holder. Best part is when we go to the school assembly in the mornings, and he brings it with him, the beer cozy is from Stone Brewing, and he laughs when other parents give him weird looks or ask what he’s drinking.”
Organize condiments at your office coffee bar
Check out what was spied at the Dr. Bronner’s coffee bar! Not one, but two VCO jars to hold various coffee needfuls.
Organize office supplies and hardware
My colleague Mercedes shared that she has repurposed VCO jars to organize her office supplies on her bookshelf (paper clips, staples, rubber bands) as well as hardware in her closet (nails, screws, etc).
Propagate plants
This is one of the most repeated uses as I was collecting ideas. Stacey, Karina, and Mercedes all mentioned that they have propagated plants in the VCO jars, filling them with water and placing plant cuttings in them. I’ve got some cuttings on my kitchen windowsill at this very moment. Pothos, dracaena, and spider plants are all very hardy, forgiving plants that root well in water are sure to boost your green thumb confidence. Once they have a lot of roots, you can transplant them into a pot with soil.
Make a nifty boho vase
Karina also shared with me that she’d been thinking that a big VCO jar could be decorated with twine rope to make a nice-looking flower vase.
Make a votive holder
Karina’s contemplation of the vase brings to mind my brief foray into decoupage years ago, at a time I was hanging with some pretty crafty folks. The glass VCO jars are the perfect base on which to adhere leaves, flowers, tissue paper, or even regular paper. A tea light inside would make the colors glow and highlight the silhouettes.
Ideas for repurposing Dr. Bronner’s Organic Magic Balm containers
Protect & organize jewelry for travel
This tip comes from my colleague Patty, and it is one I certainly will use. I am a wearer of oversized earrings and they never fit in the myriad travel jewelry organizers I own, but they would fit perfectly in an empty Magic Balm tin.
Stash supplements & vitamins
Patty also shared that she uses the balm tin for vitamins and supplements on the go. It’s the perfect size for a week or so trip, and the screw on top ensure that nothing gets chaotic.
Meet your new travel soap dish
Jacque shared, “Another hack is using the Magic Balm tins to carry bar soap for travel. Just break off or cut off a piece or two of the bar and put in the tin. My husband does this and uses the bar for his bath soap and having it in a tin makes it easy for shaving. He uses a brush and straight razor. He’s washed clothes in the sink on travel too just wiping them on the bar and washing in the sink.”
Store matches
Mercedes mentioned that she uses a balm tin to hold incense matches. Even a hot match can be set in the lid to cool without harming any surfaces. This sounds like a way to store matches for backpacking or camping or in an emergency kit or “go bag”.
Protect easily lost items when traveling
Mercedes intends her next empty tin for her wired headphones when she travels, as well as “tiny things I can never find in my bag like my bobby pins.”
Store homemade salves
Karina makes her own salves for her family and even her pets. A repurposed balm tin works perfectly for storing them.
Ideas for repurposing Dr. Bronner’s Organic Hand Sanitizer spray bottles
Train pets what not to chew
My No-Chew Spray is made with a 1:2 ratio of apple cider vinegar and white vinegar. A few spritzes on tempting items—from slippers to windowsills—is a great deterrent. I must say I love Sadie’s look in this picture. So reproachful! I’ll admit that at this point, she was not chewing Michael’s slippers. She had indeed matured greatly past such puppy-ishness.
Clean eyeglasses or sunglasses
Jacque had another great idea for the hand san bottle: “I reuse the Hand Sanitizer spray bottle for a very light Sal Suds spray. I wear glasses most of the time and they are hard to clean. I use the Sal Suds spray and rinse in warm water, and it is better than any wipe or lens cleaner. The bottle sits next to my kitchen sink and comes in handy too when we have a quick stain on clothes to spray (dinner time). I have never quite measured but it’s about 1 drop Sal Suds to the 2 oz. bottle.”
Freshen air in cars or bathrooms
I keep a simple blend of half vodka, half water, plus several drops of essential oils in some old hand sanitizer bottles to sweeten up the air in stuffy places. Now mind you, this does not clean the air, and the air should still be flushed out regularly with good air circulation. Nor does this get rid of any causes of odor, such as smelly surfaces, which should be cleaned with good old soap and water, but it is very nice to add a fresh spritz as a finishing touch, or as a stop-gap measure when things can’t be cleaned right away.
Now it’s your turn
The beauty of a blog is that it is endlessly editable. So I am counting on you to share ideas with me in the comments, which I will happily add to my catalogue above. I eagerly await your contributions!
