How to Recycle Empty Pill Bottles

Check at your drugstore to see whether they know of a charity that needs the bottles.

Once you have finished a bottle of medicine, you can recycle your empty pill bottles. After all, they are plastic, too. Instead of tossing them into the trash can, put them to good use.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Make a little bin and throw empty pill bottles into the container, fill it up and take them to the recycling center.

2. Reuse your pill bottles. First soak them in warm water and peel off the labels.

3. Use your empty bottles for storing change. They're a handy size to fit in your purse, car or bag. Use the extra change for parking or vending machines.

   Store items that never seem to have a place, such as thumbtacks, paper clips, small nails and picture hangers.

   Organize your home hardware supplies that never seem to fit in anywhere: nails, screw, bolts, nuts, washers and other items. You could even make labels for them.

4. Use them in the kitchen. Mix your own blend of spices and store them in your empty pill bottles. Save the time trying to blend them together in a hurry when cooking.

   You can also store small foods such as nuts, peppers, olives or pickles as single serving sizes on the go.

5. Donate clean, label-free pill bottles to your veterinary office or local humane society. This will help them save money on medications and help give out free samples and pet medication.

   Donate them to your local pharmacy or free clinic. Pharmacies often take these bottles and reuse them or save them for charities.

6. Remove the labels and wash well. Ask your local school band if it could use them to soak woodwind reeds and clean small instrument parts.

Tips & Warnings

• Use caution in storing edibles in pill bottles. Make sure to thoroughly clean the bottles before storing any foods.

References

• About My Planet: 21 Ways to Recycle Empty Prescription Bottles
• Thrifty Fun: Places to Recycle Prescription Bottles