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[Roze]

One way to make good use of a repurposing PET bottles project is building a cheap greenhouse,
recycling is not only a trend but a necessity nowadays. And fortunately it has become a healthy habit.

First thing you need to know about building a greenhouse out of PET bottles is you ought to enjoy working with plastic. The trick is you actually build each `wall` at a time, although in total it seems you’re dealing with some kind of a castle, involving almost a thousand bottles in order to raise-up a 2 by 2 by 2 meters structure. Here is a effective advice to beginning the process: measure your bottles. Doing so, the frame will be exactly of the necessary size. If there is however any miscalculations, you could easily cut some of the height of the bottles. Then it’s all about cutting and gluing the bottles between them and to the wood frame. Work on the wooden frame placed flat on the floor. Make sure you have a couple of pieces of wood positioned underneath the frame; this way, the bottles will be centered to the middle of the frame and not bulking in any other way. Pour a bit of silicon in between the bottles once the wall is done. Do the same with each `wall`. And remember to put in a flap panel for use as ventilation. 

What a great example of repurposing, but do they work? what you think about it?

Here you can find a easy step-by-step tutorial:
http://www.reapscotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Plastic_Bottle_Greenhouse_Instructions_2004.pdf

An interesting blog about the subject:
http://andrewdouse.hubpages.com/hub/plasticbottlegreenhouse

Now, lets built a green greenhouse!

6 Likes Seed Collector, MadPlanter, fairdinkumseeds, hereje, Chicsa and 1 more people like this.

[delta9hippie]

Very cool idea, and great that it puts PET bottles to reuse. I would have concerns about the levels of diffusion and refraction of light. It would be interesting to get a light meter in to one of these, or ones with different designs. I'm sure all would be good for seedling and light-sensitive plants, but I wonder if light-loving plants would do well inside one. Any experience with that?

1 Like Chicsa likes this.

[Auxin]

The environmental footprint from all the required silicone sealant would be much higher than simply building the entire thing from a double layer of 4 mil plastic sheeting, wouldnt it? Just how many years would PET bottles last in the sun?
It would also reinforce unhealthy dietary habits. I jealously guard a couple bottles I use to cover pereskiopsis because I dont consume junk food and have to wait for visitors to leave empty bottles here

3 Likes Seed Collector, Chicsa and Ian Morris like this.

[Roze]

My biggest concern about this is the fact that plastic bottles are toxic, even the bpa free. Loaded with estrogens, etc. This would not be a healthy alternative to grow food in.. While I applaud reusing and recycling items as much as possible, if one is serious about lessening one’s footprint it would seem that simply using less would be the best response. Unfortunately we don't need to buy any plastic,  in the ocean there is a as land floating the size of Texas out there.. 

1 Like Seed Collector likes this.

[reds]

I think its a great idea.

Especially if you're pulling them out of the trash, in an area that doesn't recycle.

I think nearly everyone has used a bottle as a humidity dome for a cutting. Brilliant to scale it up.
I doubt i'll be doing it, just because storing the parts before construction would be a pain.

[Seed Collector]

My biggest concern about this is the fact that plastic bottles are toxic, even the bpa free. Loaded with estrogens, etc. This would not be a healthy alternative to grow food in.. While I applaud reusing and recycling items as much as possible, if one is serious about lessening one’s footprint it would seem that simply using less would be the best response. Unfortunately we don't need to buy any plastic,  in the ocean there is a as land floating the size of Texas out there.. 

While I support recycling, I agree with this post. Unfortunately there are two huge landfills in the ocean: Huge Garbage Patch Found in Atlantic Too.

"Billions of bits of plastic are accumulating in a massive garbage patch in the Atlantic Ocean—a lesser known cousin to the Texas-size trash vortex in the Pacific, scientists say." ... "[this] patch covers a region between 22 and 38 degrees north latitude—roughly the distance from Cuba to Virginia"

I must mention the documentary Plastic Planet for those who haven't seen it.

1 Like Roze likes this.

[SlowGrow]

This is a really cool idea, if toxicity/light isn't an issue ide defiantly love to make something like this! They look amazing