Plastic milk jugs are usually coded as a number 2 plastic, which means they are highly recyclable. Most curbside recyclers take plastic milk containers and will later recycle them into laundry detergent bottles, pens, floor tiles, fencing and more. But if you’d prefer to be a bit more creativity you can recycle the container yourself.

Here are ten ideas on how to recycle that milk container:

1. Bird Feeder – About an inch up from the bottom of the container, on each side, cut a quarter-sized hole. Cut a small hole through both sides of the top of the jug so that you can put a string through and create a hanger for your bird feeder. Fill the jug with seed and hang it from a tree.

2. Balloon holder – Decorate or paint the milk jugs. Fill them with sand. Set the jugs where desired and tie the balloons to the jugs. This is great if you want to create an entryway of balloons, for example, or simply to bring a festive feel to an outside space.

3. Luminaries – Cut the top half of the milk jug off and fill it with two inches of sand. Place a votive in the sand. Ta Da! Instant lighting.

4. Funnel – Use the top half of the milk jug that you cut off, above, flip it over. Now it’s a funnel! You can throw it in your trunk and use it for guiding oil into your car’s engine. Or keep it inside and use it to pour bulk sugars, seeds, beans and more into containers.

5. Compost helper – Cut the top off of the milk jug, enough to allow a wider mouth to throw food scraps into. Be sure to maintain the handle. Keep this container in your kitchen. When you cook or prepare food, throw your composting scraps into the container. At the end of the evening, carry it out to your backyard composter. Rinse it out and store it for the next day’s compost ingredients!

6. Toilet bowl brush holder – Cut the top of the milk jug off, enough to allow your toilet bowl brush to fit into the jug. Place the jug behind your toilet and you finally have a place to set the toilet bowl brush. The good thing about this is that if it ever starts to gross you out, you recycle the jug and use a new one!

7. Greenhouse – If you’ve set delicate seedlings out and worry the weather will do them in, turn a milk jug into a last minute greenhouse. Cut the bottom of the container off and set it over the seedling. You can leave the lid on or off, depending on the temperature requirement.

8. Collect rain water – Set out the milk jugs (as-is) to catch rain water. Seal the jugs when full and use them to water plants when necessary.

9. Personal Cooler – If you worry about your pets over-heating during the hot summer, try this trick: fill a milk jug with water and freeze it. Put it next to your dog, in his dog bed, or into your rabbit’s cage, etc. The animal can lie next to the over-sized ice cube and keep cool.

10. Plant starter – Cut the top half to 2/3 of the container off and fill the bottom with soil. Add seeds. When your plants are ready to transplant, you’ll be able to easily uproot them and re-plant them.