Walking around the Ideal Home show yesterday I came across Message in a bottle tucked away in a quiet corner. They have a neat take on the recycling theme, by flattening glass bottles and turning them into clocks and cheeseboards.

All their products are made from recycled drinks bottles, heated in a furnace and melted just enough to be flattened while retaining the original texture and shape. The original labels (removed before the process, obviously) are then re-applied to make a unique clock or cheeseboard.

They have a range of bottles in stock at any given time, but if you want a bottle of your own turned into something more memorable you can send it to them for flattening. Prices run from £12.50 to over £30, depending on the size you want.

More details on the website, www.flatbottlegirls.co.uk

* With apologies to Queen. It was a bad pun, but when they hand it to you on a plate with their domain name you have to run with it…