Sensible & Sensational Repurposes for Dr. Bronner’s Packaging

This blog was written by Lisa Bronner and originally appeared in her Going Green blog on February 14th 2025.

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, and the aluminum Organic Magic Balm tins.  

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. (946ml) and 16 oz. (473ml) bottles that the Liquid Soaps 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. (946ml) and 16 oz. (473ml) 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. (946ml) and 16 oz. (473ml) plastic 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. (237ml) 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 Liquid Soap 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. (473ml), which is too large for travelling. Instead, I’ve taken an empty small Castile Liquid Soap bottle, 2 oz. (59ml), 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 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. (59ml) 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.