Many people don’t know how to recycle plexiglass. The first thing you need to do is find out what your local recycling center accepts. Once you have that, there are many creative ways to recycle plexiglass! You can use it as a window for an igloo or turn it into a beautiful mosaic art piece!
Table of Contents
Recycle Plexiglass into a picture frame
Plexiglass can be turned in several ways. To create a picture frame, you will need to cut the plexiglass with proper measurements and drill in on one side for the hangers.
To add more color or artistic flair, paint your plexiglass frames using acrylic paints before they are complete. You can use different colors like deep reds, beige pastels shades, or even greens to give it an eclectic feel unique from others. Employing these techniques saves money and helps conserve natural resources by reusing materials instead of buying new ones.
Cut Plexiglass to make custom window panes
- Visit a home improvement store and pick up the appropriate cutter for how you want to cut your plexiglass. Using the tool, follow along the lines of where you want it to be cut with scissors or another similar sharp object.
- Using a saw (or something that will make clean cuts), start cutting away from one side of each line until all four sides are free from the larger piece of material.
- Place new window panes inside old frames or other household items in need of windows. The leftover pieces can easily be recycled as well!
Make a plexiglass tabletop for your patio furniture
For a tabletop to place on top of your patio furniture, cut a piece of plexiglass that is the same size as your table or bench. You should be able to find precut pieces at most hardware stores.
Using silicone caulk and screws, attach the tabletop to the underside of your furniture, so it doesn’t slide around when you’re eating outdoors. Make sure that there are no gaps in between where the two surfaces meet. If they do, apply some caulk to fill those spaces before screwing them together tightly with more screws if needed.
Be sure to use a clear silicone that is designed for outdoor projects. If you can’t find any, ask the hardware store how else you might work around this problem. They may have some other advice or an alternative product they recommend using instead of caulk or screws.
Use leftover scraps of plexiglass to create colorful coasters or trivets.
Leftover scraps of plexiglass can be used to make colorful coasters or trivets. Cut the leftover scrap into small, equal-sized squares and use a hot glue gun to attach them in any pattern you want.
The possibilities are endless for what can be created with leftover scraps of plexiglass! Be creative and see how many different ways you will allow you to give new life to this otherwise unusable material. Just like anything else in life, don’t let something go down without a fight!
You can also use leftovers of plexiglass in your next project! We have how to recycle old clothes and make a table from pallets, but how about using leftover scraps of plexiglass? Here’s how: Cut the leftover scrap into small squares. Spread them out on paper or cardboard that is at least five times longer than the length of the scrap pieces. Place one end (of an equal-sized square) against another so that it overlaps by half its width; glue together with hot glue.
Put these new glass mosaics onto boards for wall displays or create jewelry holders. The possibilities are endless! And just like anything else in life, don’t let something go down.
Cover an old lampshade with plexiglass and paint it in a fun pattern
You can cover an old lampshade with plexiglass and paint it. It’s a fun way to add color for the seasons or holidays, but you can also use patterns for how they look in person instead of how they appear on paper.
- This is one of my favorite ways because I can reuse an old lampshade that would otherwise be thrown away!
- First, measure how large your plexiglass sheet needs to be, so when wrapped around the top and bottom rim of your shade, there will be at least two inches overlapping all sides. Then cut your Plexi with scissors following these measurements, adding an extra inch (at minimum) to each side just in case you need some wiggle room when placing it into position.
- Next, wrap the Plexi tightly around your shade. You’ll notice how much overlap there is to each side, but don’t worry about that right now since you can tighten it up later.
- Once wrapped securely in place, use a hot glue gun and carefully apply small dots of glue every inch or so on one side at a time, with each dot spaced out evenly (or as close as possible). It’s important not to put too many dots near the center section, where they will be visible through the translucent material when light shines through.
- Finally, using scissors trim off any excess plexiglass from either end just before placing it into position over the top rim of the lampshade base.
Create an upcycled wine glass from two pieces of plexiglass cut at different angles and mounted together with hardware
For creating an upcycled wine glass, you will need a wine glass, two pieces of plexiglass cut at different angles, and hardware.
Once the appropriate dimensions are determined for how to recycle plexiglass upcycled wine glasses, measure your piece of clear plastic, so it is about an inch longer on each side than the diameter of the base or stemless bottom half (depending on how you want it to look) Â Once measured out use a strong adhesive such as gorilla glue or epoxy sealant. Apply this adhesive liberally around all four edges where they would meet in one go ensuring that there are no gaps between them when dry. The next day once completely dried, place some weights evenly distributed over both sides and allow 24 hours before trying to mount together with hardware.
To recycle plexiglass upcycled wine glasses, use a drill and step bit or other hole-making tools. Start with the glass base- it is easiest for beginners to work from the top down. Drill two holes corresponding in size to your hardware piece (make sure they are on either side so you can attach them)  Next, measure how much more space there needs to be between each hole if using one large screw mount that attaches at both ends then starting with another mount about an inch further towards reaching this distance. Cut out these shapes by drilling three slightly different-sized sides of an equilateral triangle until meeting in the middle, where all pieces should meet evenly without gaps when pressed together. The how-to recycles plexiglass upcycled wine glasses should be able to fit together snugly without glue or adhesives. Use the how-tos for how to drill and attach screws as a guide  For attaching two pieces of how to recycle plexiglass, first clean off any overhanging adhesive from both sides with rubbing alcohol. Next, use your hole saw (or other suitable power tools) in depths corresponding with how much space they need between each mount found on the base piece so you can still insert all hardware into place when finished drilling.
Make table
One of the best use can be to make a table. You can use Plexiglass to cover the top of your coffee table, or you could make it into an island that will last for years!
If I’m going, to be honest, my favorite way is recycling plexiglass as drink coasters. The best part about this is you don’t even need any fancy tools, just some old wine glasses, and glue. Just remember to take care of how much-wet fabric glue you are using, so you don’t end up with a gooey mess on the bottom of your furniture when they dry out after 24 hours. If there’s anything left over from sticking them on the tablescape – let me know what other creative uses.
Create a window for your home
For a perfect or good-looking window, how about you make one of those windows by using plexiglass? To do this, all that’s needed is some clear plastic sheets and a few tools.
First off, measure the window size and cut four pieces of Plexiglas to fit it.
Next up, please select a color for your design–black or white works best as they have better light-blocking properties than other colors would have. Use paint markers to create your design on two panels while leaving the other two unpainted, so it will be easy to assemble them later with glue gun heat strip adhesive tape when dry (these should also be measured first). Finally, place these inside an oven at 230°C/450°F to bake until heated through.
Then, take a sharp blade and score the outer edge of the two panels that have paint on them to create a clean break line.
Lastly, assemble these two pieces by applying pressure with your fingers while securing them in place with glue gun heat strip adhesive tape along one side of the border between each panel. Repeat this process for the other three sections until you are left with four distinct but now flat window panels–two painted ones sandwiching two unpainted ones. With those final steps complete, then there’s how to install plexiglass windows time! You will need screws or clips to attach framing around the window opening onto the wall if no siding is present; additionally, measure inside height from floor level up to where the bottom lip should be placed.
Re-purpose into something else, such as furniture or jewelry
Plexiglass can be re-purposed as furniture or jewelry. For instance, a Plexiglass table can be used for displaying products or as an extra desk.
Another way to re-purpose plexiglass items is by painting them with spray paint and glazing the surface to give it a new look.
Cut it to create coasters or drinkware.
To create coasters or drinkware, cut the Plexiglas with a saw or utility knife. To make large coasters, you will need to use larger pieces of Plexi on which to work—four inches by four inches is a good size for coasters that are two and a half inches thick. You can also work in smaller increments, such as one-inch by one-inch squares cut from an eight-inch square sheet of Plexi.
For drinkware, round edges look best; they’re easy to grip and have more room for condensation rings. If you want your glassware perfectly smooth on all sides, then be prepared for some extra time in sanding and polishing it when you’re done cutting out the shape.
Use the plexiglass to make a light fixture in your kitchen or living room
To make a light fixture in your kitchen or living room from old plexiglass, follow these steps:
- Cut the piece of Plexi to size; you might need a saw for this.
- Drill holes in how you would like them drilled, and then let that dry overnight, so the drilling doesn’t crack the material.
- Paint or seal with polyurethane according to how long ago your paint was applied (if it has been on there while using a good quality primer first)
And voila! You’re done!
At last,
Recycling Plexiglass is a fantastic way to upcycle and reuse this material. We’ve provided you with several ideas for re-purposing your old Plexi into new things, but if you need more inspiration, head over to Pinterest or Google Images, where many great DIY projects can be done using recycled materials!
