Jason Lorraine, a veteran of the US Army, and his wife Julie were living out their dream as the proud owners and operators of their food truck called Squatchy’s BBQ. In July, everything changed when the couple watched their dreams literally go up in flames.

Now, Jason and Julie are fighting back. They refuse to let this setback ruin the business they worked so hard to build from the ground up.

On the way to a food truck rally in Stayton, Oregon, the Lorraines noticed smoke billowing from their trailer. “I originally thought I could put it out with the fire extinguisher, but the minute I got out of the truck I realized, that’s not gonna work,” explained Jason.

“I grabbed whatever I could think to grab out of the truck, our phones, our cash,” before acknowledging that “I just had to stand there and watch it burn.”

Although Jason managed to unhitch the BBQ trailer from the back of their Chevy, the four-door pickup truck still sustained some damage from the blaze. Worst of all, just about everything in the trailer went up in flames. Among the items lost were refrigerators, a slow cooker, and several signs.

“Unfortunately, the entire thing was so consumed with fire that there was no discernible source,” said Silverton Fire District Assist Chief Ed Grambusch. Ultimately, the fire was determined to be non-suspicious. While Jason is optimistic that insurance will cover the damages, some things simply cannot be replaced.

The couple hadn’t even owned their business for a full year when the fire occurred. “The amount of loss is going to be way greater than the trailer itself … when you’re building a food truck you don’t think about the amount that goes into it … you don’t picture it going up in flames,” said the Army vet.

“Now, we’re left without a trailer or any way to make money and the time frame to build a trailer and get it inspected or anything,” Jason stated. Luckily, their community, along with fellow vets, have rallied behind the couple to offer support in the form of a GoFundMe page, which is already well on its way to reaching the $25,000 goal.

“So sorry this has happened to you!! For now, this is what I have to donate but I will be doing more when I can!” writes one supporter. Another supporter included the note: “Vets helping vets.” On a Facebook page which the Lorraines created to aid in their crowdfunding efforts, they share the uplifting message, “The fire will not win. Squatchy’s will rise again!”

Plastic bottles are incredibly versatile, but thousands of them end up in landfill sites every day. With issues like deforestation, sea/land pollution, and climate change becoming more significant, everyone should be thinking of ways they can treat the planet with more kindness. Keep reading to find out how to repurpose old plastic bottles…

If you’re worried about your phone being kicked, stepped on, or smashed when you’re charging it, look no further than this cute charging caddy. Simply cut a plastic bottle into the desired shape and hook over your charger.

These plant pots would make an amazing gift for someone special. Show off your upcycling skills by attaching the top end of a plastic water bottle to an old CD, creating a stand that’ll add support and integrity to your planter.

Not only is it environmentally friendy, but it’s a fun way of showcasing your gorgeous greenery. Plus, it saves you from spending money on planters from stores like Home Depot. What more could you want?

This is an ingenious solution for storing loose kitchen ingredients. Don’t you hate it when your cereal gets soggy? When your rice and grains have gone a little bit stale? You can avoid these pesky problems by storing your foodstuffs inside these handy sealable bags.

Just place your ingredients in a plastic bag, with the opening threaded through a plastic ring. You can then attach and screw on the lid of any plastic bottle, keeping your food fresher for longer.

All parents know the struggle of spending hours tidying your kids’ room, only to find it looking like a bombsite within minutes of cleaning. With plastic toys strewn over the carpet, it’s easy to trip over one of their favorite action figures.

Or worse — step on a Lego piece. Creating a toy container from a water cooler refill bottle is an environmentally friendly fix! Simply cut off the top and seal the edges with some washi tape.

Smartphone speakers can be expensive. With most of them using Bluetooth technology or requiring a WiFi connection, it’s easy to spend upwards of $100. That’s a steep price to pay to listen to your favorite tunes on Spotify.

If you want to reduce waste and save money, you can create your own speaker from a plastic bottle. Cut off the top of the bottle with some scissors, keeping the cap intact. Cut a hole through the bottle cap and voilà!

This DIY plastic bottle hack is pretty nifty. You can repurpose an old plastic bottle for countless reasons, but this one will please all of the clean freaks out there. If you find yourself constantly washing the dishes, you can make your life a little bit easier by creating a little holder for your sponge.

This also allows you to fill up the bottom of the container with water, keeping your sponge nice and moist for all your cleaning needs.

Protect your precious fingers with this DIY finger guard made from a plastic bottle. If you’re a keen chef who’s always chopping and cutting vegetables — as well as other ingredients — you’ll probably have suffered from a nasty cut at some point. You don’t need to splash any cash to eliminate this problem.

Simply cut out a section from the top of a plastic bottle. You can fasten this onto a ring with glue or tape in order to keep it secure.

If you are currently homeschooling your kids or working from home, you probably have random pens, pencils, rulers, and erasers lying around on every surface. This little DIY hack made from plastic bottles is a handy way of storing your loose stationery, and it also operates as a fun and creative activity to occupy any bored little ones.

Simply cut off the top of a plastic bottle, leaving flaps for bunny ears. Finish with some paint and googly eyes!

This one is another handy plastic bottle DIY that could double up as a fun home school activity. You can create beautiful lantern-esque decorations by cutting up plastic bottles, leaving a hole at the top (or the bottom) to thread a piece of string through. Simply adorn your lanterns with pom-poms and color in with paints or permanent markers.

You could even turn this into a seasonal activity by picking a Halloween or Christmas-inspired color palette. It’s both environmentally friendly and fun!

Pupils at a school in England decided to do their bit for the environment by creating a full-sized greenhouse out of plastic bottles. It was a long process, but it was worth it in the end, as they completed their project and immediately began growing all kinds of plants and produce.

If you have a collection of plastic bottles at home, this is a great way to reuse them. And gardening contributes to the ecosystem, naturally cleaning the air.

If you don’t have the time or resources to create a full-sized greenhouse, you can always make mini ones! This DIY plastic bottle hack involves cutting a big bottle — whether it’s a Coke bottle, Sprite bottle, or Pepsi bottle — in half, and using each half as a protective lid to place inside your plant pots.

This person has used them to grow their favorite herbs, such as basil, rosemary, parsley, and dill. Now, they have their very own herb garden on their window sill! What a delightful idea.

Keen gardeners will love this idea for reusing plastic bottles. Instead of spending your hard-earned cash on an expensive sprinkler system, you can create your own using the plastic bottles that you have lying around at home. If you cut a hole in your plastic bottle and remove the lid, this can be attached to your regular hose.

In minutes you will have a fully functioning sprinkler that will keep your plants and grass looking perfectly healthy and fresh.

If you’re serious about mountain biking, you’ll want a bike with a fender. If your budget doesn’t stretch to allow you to buy a bike with built-in mudguards, you can actually fashion them out of plastic bottles no less! They are perfect for protecting your bike from road spray — like dirt, mud, and water.

There’s no need to splash the big bucks on an upmarket road bike with concealed mudguard mounts or fancy, lightweight wraparound fenders. Just make your own!

Photographers love buying the very best kit to expand their portfolio and work on their craft. However, camera equipment such as lenses can be incredibly expensive. If you’re an amateur snapper who just wants to practice and have fun, did you know that you can create your very own macro lens for your DSLR using a plastic bottle?

This way you can experiment with different shot types whilst saving money and protecting the environment. It’s a win-win-win situation!

If you’re a parent to a toddler, you know how difficult it is to get them to wash their hands. Most of the time the little munchkins aren’t tall enough to reach the faucet, so they can’t do so without the help of their doting mommy or daddy.

You can purchase faucet extenders, designed to point the flow of water in their direction. Or, you can save money and reduce waste by making your own out of a plastic bottle!

It can be a real pain you’re in the middle of baking a batch of cookies or making dinner and the recipe calls for you to separate the egg whites and yolks. It’s such a time consuming and awkward task, and it’s even more difficult to accomplish if you don’t own one of those fancy egg white separator tools.

Alas, the humble plastic bottle saves the day yet again. Simply place an empty bottle on the yolk and squeeze!

Heading to the beach with your family? Don’t bother spending money on those plastic buckets and shovels that you will inevitably leave behind or keep in the garage for years. If you have a plastic milk or juice container in your fridge, you can simply cut around the handle to create your very own shovel.

Kids will have hours of fun scooping up sand with this baby! Or, you could use it in the yard if you’re a keen gardener!

If you’re an avid cyclist, then you’re no stranger to the struggles of wanting to take your phone on a bike ride. You may want to track your speed and distance or maybe you want to listen to music while riding. You can buy various devices that attach your phone to your handlebars, but that won’t protect it against the elements.

However, you can keep your precious phone safe and dry by making a cover out of a plastic bottle.

Sometimes you just want to sail away from life’s troubles and land on your own private tropical island à la Kim Kardashian’s 40th birthday celebration. What would you say if we told you that you could make your very own sailboat out of plastic bottles?

We can’t guarantee how safe this would be, but at least it would make a cool backyard decoration if your sea expedition doesn’t work out. Plus, it would be another fun project to occupy kids!

Autumn marks the beginning of the new school year. Even though most children and teens aren’t returning to the classroom as normal, they will still need to get some new stationery for their classes. Instead of buying the same old pencil case as everyone else, why not make your own?

You can fashion one out of an old plastic bottle, cutting it in half and attaching a zipper. Help the planet by reusing your bottles instead of throwing them away.

Oral hygiene is a big deal, you guys. We know that going to the dentist is a total drag. You have to deal with a complete stranger poking around in your mouth, pesky injections numbing your face, and washing your mouth out with that weird pink stuff.

It’s important to take care of your teeth, brushing those pearly whites at least twice a day. Why don’t you make these cute little toothbrush holders out of your old plastic bottles?

Not every plastic bottle hack is practical and productive. If you happen to have hoarded hundreds of plastic bottles in uniform colors and sizes, you could make this amazing elephant sculpture. Why, you ask? Well, elephants are cool. And reusing and recycling plastic is so important for the future of the environment.

It means less need to manufacture new bottles from virgin petroleum resin, and less trash that ends up in landfills, streams, and parks. It can significantly reduce pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy usage.

This has to be one of the cutest plastic bottle hacks that we have seen so far. Young girls will love this DIY, as they will get to create their very own tiny handbags. If you want to relive your childhood and channel 2001 Paris Hilton, check this out.

You will need plenty of plastic bottles to deconstruct, alongside a hot glue gun and some pretty, brightly colored beads and sequins. But, it’s worth the effort for a cute accessory!

It’s hard to believe that this beautiful, decorative jewelry holder is made out of plastic bottles. It’s a practical yet stylish DIY hack to show off all of your favorite jewelry pieces — from sparkly pendant necklaces to dainty, dangly earrings.

You could even make this jewelry holder for family or friends as a cheap and creative Christmas gift! And you won’t be contributing to the rampant consumerism of the festive season by supporting those big multi-million dollar companies like Amazon.

The perfect addition to any arts and crafts corner, this is one DIY hack that kids and adults will love. It involves zero cutting, gluing, assembling, filing, melting, or deconstruction of any kind. You simply grab your plastic bottle and dip the bottom into some paint.

And voilà! You immediately have a beautiful and fully functional flower stamp. Children and the young at heart will love creating works of art with this nifty piece of kit. And it’s super cheap!

Plastic bottles are super durable and long-lasting. Did you know that it can take up to 1,000 years for these items that we use every day to decompose in landfills? This council decided to combat this problem by using local donations of plastic bottles to create a shelter for this car park.

It may not be a DIY hack that you can simply knock together at home, but it’s still a creative and innovative way of recycling old plastic bottles.

The festive season is full of cheer. However, one downside of Christmas time is the amount of waste created by excess packaging and decorations, many of which are made from cheap plastic materials that cannot be recycled. So, instead of heading to the dollar store and buying hundreds of tacky decorations for your home, why not get creative?

This mini Christmas tree standee is made from plastic bottles. So, you’re saving the planet and celebrating the happiest time of year!

You would not believe that these cute hanging planters are created from leftover plastic bottles. They look like they were taken straight from Pinterest or bought from one of those artsy sites, like Etsy.

Simply cut the top from your plastic bottle, create your desired shape, and use paint or markers to draw on your very own designs. Remember to cut holes for the string to hang your favorite plants in. Why not make these for friends or family members?

This one could also definitely work as a Christmas gift for those eco-friendly people in your life. They will definitely appreciate the gesture of a handmade present, and they will love the fact that it was made from recycled plastic bottles. You can create a pretty cute looking coin purse by cutting a plastic bottle in half and attaching a zipper.

You get bonus craft points if you take the time to attach pom-poms, lace, gems, sequins, and other decorations.

Who knew that you could create a jetpack from reused plastic bottles. Okay, maybe it won’t be functional, but kids will love running around with their very own jetpack strapped to their backs. It would make an excellent outfit for Halloween or a costume party.

Plus, making your kid a jetpack would definitely make you the coolest parent in town. Simply spray paint the bottles a silver or gray tone, attach some straps, and make some flames made of tissue paper or felt.

Sia would be proud of this chandelier. Not only is it pretty cool, but it’s also environmentally friendly, as it’s made from — you guessed it — plastic bottles. This would be another fun craft activity for those who are bored in quarantine, as it involves cutting shapes from the bottles and threading them through some heavy duty string or twine.

Follow fire safety guidelines and make sure it’s not touching any bulbs or areas that are likely to heat up.

This one is for all of the teachers, homeschooling parents, and classroom assistants out there. You’re all well acquainted with the struggle of asking young kids or toddlers to stop making a mess and mixing the craft supplies.

We bet you didn’t know, though, that you could make your very own stationery organizers at a low cost. Just cut open some plastic milk or juice containers, as they make the perfect pen and pencil sorters. It’s super easy.

Don’t bother spending lots of money on a shower curtain which is probably going to consist of a cheap sheet of plastic. You can get creative by making your own out of plastic bottles. This hack looks very impressive and probably took a lot of time and effort.

But hey, if 2020 isn’t the year for embarking on time-consuming and frivolous personal projects, then we don’t know what is. So, get your supplies ready, and get ready to craft.

This bottle cap mosaic is a unique and beautiful way to transform any boring, blank wall. It prevents these pieces of plastic from piling up in landfill sites, and it also looks incredibly striking. You can get creative and construct any kind of image.

This person decided to go for an intricate blue and green design to adorn the side of their house! That’s a big commitment, but at least it’ll make their home stand out from the crowd.

How nice would it be to look out your window and see a beautiful bird feeder that you crafted with your very own hands? Not only are you reusing and recycling plastic bottles, but you are helping sustain the ecosystem in your local area. This bird feeder is easy to make.

All you need to do is cut some holes in the side of a plastic bottle to create a perch, and fill it up with seeds. Birdwatchers, take notes!

These napkin rings would spruce up any table setting. And you will get some brownie points from your dinner party pals for repurposing old plastic bottles rather than buying new materials.

Imagine how smug you would feel while telling your friends that you made these! They look elegant and could even be used as a prom corsage for all of those eco-activist teens out there. You could make a batch of these for the festive season. Secret Santa, anyone?

It’s pretty trendy nowadays to have a cute cactus adorning your window sill. You can certainly grow and care for them indoors, but you need to provide them with the optimum conditions. They require constant exposure to light, so position them at a window where they get direct sunlight for most of the day.

If you live in a cooler climate, you can create these mini greenhouse-style covers to ensure that they are staying warm and still receiving sunshine.

Sometimes, simplicity is just the way to go. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel when coming up with upcycling ideas for your old plastic bottles. If you ensure that the lids are firmly resealable, you can simply use your old plastic bottles as storage for loose kitchen ingredients.

These are also handy as they double up as dispensers for your chocolate chips, herbs, spices, nuts, and grains. You name it — you can store it in a plastic bottle. How neat is that?

If you don’t fancy taking a trip to Home Depot, but you need somewhere to grow your large plants and produce — fear not. You can create durable and strong planters by simply cutting and hollowing out some water cooler refill bottles.

They’re the perfect size, especially if they have a smooth, flat edge. You can lay them on their side, fill them with soil, and use them for all of your gardening needs. Share this tip with your gardener pals!

It may seem entirely pointless to turn your old plastic bottle into what is essentially just a smaller bottle. But, this little DIY apple trick would work really well in handmade presents. Imagine gifting this to your child’s teacher, alongside a fun little note?

Imagine, “Roses are red, apples are too. I can’t wait to spend the school year with you!” Who wouldn’t smile at such a sweet and thoughtful handmade gift? It seems like a real winner to us.

It’s a well-known fact that kids love farm animals. It’s an unwritten rule that you have to teach your kids how to replicate animal noises before they can even talk. If you have any pig lovers in your household, then they’ll love trying out this charming DIY craft idea.

Who knew you could create a pig from old plastic bottles, some glue, and paper? The googly eyes really bring the entire piece together. It’s such an adorable idea!

These wall mounted planters made from plastic bottles are both functional and visually striking. All you need to do is cut and hollow out an old plastic bottle before attaching it to a wall using command strips, super glue, or a small shelf.

Then, you just need to fill it with some damp soil and there you have it. A super cool and unique way to decorate any outdoor or indoor space. You can grow any small plants, flowers, or herbs.

This outdoor wall mosaic has a lot of meaning behind it. The installation, titled ‘When the Beach Met the Bay’ was made from 25,000 plastic bottle caps that were washed up when Hurricane Sandy submerged most of Long Beach’s homes in four feet of water.

It’s a striking tribute to a community that had to rebuild following a tragedy, and it also prevents the bottlecaps from entering the local waterways and causing pollution. What a beautiful piece of art.

This is another plastic bottle DIY activity that will keep the kids occupied during difficult times at home. This fun flower craft is simple, easy, and only requires a handful of supplies.

You will need a plastic bottle plus its cap, alongside some paper, cardboard, glue, and other decorative pieces — such as markers, stickers, and paints. Don’t forget to collect some small rocks and use a rod (i.e. a straw) of some kind to hold up the flower and act as a stem.

This funky white lampshade looks like it was taken straight from one of the model interiors of IKEA. It’s bold, visually striking, and of course, helps the environment since it’s made from hundreds of plastic bottles. You simply cut the bottles in half and use the bottom sections to create a bubble effect.

Why buy an expensive lampshade that plenty of other people have, when you can make your very own repurposed one? We know which option we would select.