How to Clean and Recycle Essential Oil Bottles

You’ve just used the last drop of your favourite essential oil, taken your last supplement capsule, or used the final spray of your doTERRA mist. Rather than just throwing away your empty doTERRA bottles, discover just how easily they can be recycled and reused! In this post, we’re sharing our top tips for how you can make your essential oil bottles ready for repurposing.

How to Recycle Essential Oil Bottles

doTERRA essential oil bottles, their packaging, and any supplement bottles can-and should-be recycled. However, the key effective recycling is knowing the material of each item so you can dispose of them properly. This information can be found on the bottom of each doTERRA bottle, but here’s a quick guide for doTERRA products and their glass/plastic types:

• Amber/Brown glass: 5 mL, 10 mL, and 15 mL essential oil bottles
• Number 1 PETE plastic: Dark supplement bottles, beadlet bottles, and 30 mL spray bottles
• Number 2 HDPE plastic: White supplement bottles

Since no two cities are the same when it comes to recycling, it’s a good idea to check your local recycling standards to understand your community’s specific guidelines for each of these materials.

How to Clean Empty Essential Oil Bottles: 5 mL, 10 mL, and 15 mL

Cleaning your empty essential oil bottles before recycling is important to making sure they are accepted for recycling and also allows you to upcycle them for other purposes at home. Check out these quick and easy steps to prep your bottles:

1. Remove the cap and the orifice (reducer insert) using an orifice remover.
2. Insert a cotton swab to absorb any residual essential oil.
3. Remove the oil label and use Lemon essential oil to remove any sticky residue left behind.
4. Soak the bottle, orifice, and cap in a bowl of warm, soapy water for about 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove from the water, rinse well, and dry completely before recycling or reusing.

How to Clean doTERRA Supplement Bottles

doTERRA supplement bottles are the easiest of the doTERRA containers to clean. Simply wash the bottles with soapy water and rinse! Removing labels and cleaning the residue Is optional, but effective!

How to Clean doTERRA 30 mL Spray Bottles

Like supplement bottles, a few rinses with soapy water will do the trick for your spray bottle. To clean the nozzle, pass soapy water through the nozzle for about 20 pumps, then another 20 pumps with clear water until all the soap is gone, and 20 pumps more to purge all remaining water. After they are clean and dry, you can recycle the bottles or reuse them to create your own room or surface spray with your favourite essential oils.

doTERRA is dedicated to protecting our beautiful planet, but we can’t do it alone! Join us in helping the environment by either recycling or upcycling your doTERRA bottles and packaging. When you do, you can show your appreciation for the beautiful gifts of the earth after enjoying the benefits of doTERRA products.