A reality of the modern world is that nearly everyone has plastic items that contribute to clutter and waste. For one of those things that can really mount up, a creator has just the hack.
The scoop
Sustainable stylist Sarah Teresinski (@redeux_style) shared a clever way to upcycle empty pill bottles on her TikTok account.
@redeux_style My fav Plastic Upcycle/Hack using old pill bottles! #hack #upcycle #rework #diy #thriftflip #homedecor #upcycling #upcycle #diy #thriftflip #homedecor #upcycles #rework #upcycling #thriftflip #organize #reuse #recycle #secondhandstyle #transform #oldtonew #upcycleddesign #makers #upcyclersoftiktok #makersoftiktok #upcycling ♬ Pure Imagination - Kathleen
Teresinski starts the video by branding it as her favorite plastic upcycling hack.
"I literally use this all the time," she says. "It is a game-changer."
As Teresinski notes, leftover medicine leftover bottles can really stack up over time. Fortunately, she has multiple ways to tap into their usefulness by converting them after they no longer hold pills.
The process starts with removing the label from the bottle and cleaning it with soap and water. Next up is filling the bottle with water and putting it in the freezer.
"This is the best small ice pack for if you have kids for all the boo-boos, any type of injury," she states. "You can use them to keep a small thing cold in a lunchbox."
Teresinski touts the fact that they're leak-proof before wishing viewers "Happy upcycling!"
How it's helping
Transforming pill bottles into ice packs keeps them out of landfills and declutters your space. Because of their small size and low weight, there aren't necessarily recycling options for leftover pill bottles.
That makes it even more likely that the pill bottles will end up in a landfill, contributing to the plastic pollution crisis. Plastic in landfills can take decades to decompose, all the while producing methane, a potent gas, and leaking microplastics.
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$200 or more 💰 By repurposing these bottles, you also save money on store-bought ice packs. That helps by reducing the resources needed to produce and transport those items.
Pill bottles are ubiquitous, so Teresinski and others have created a lot of hacks to upcycle them. Other options include making a survival kit or using them to store knickknacks in a secure way.
One last option is finding an organization, such as Matthew 25: Ministries, that accepts them as donations.
What everyone's saying
Users responded positively to Teresinski's hack and added their own creative ways they repurpose the bottles.
"Keeping my water bottle cold in my bike bag," one person said.
"I put them in my car with change in case of emergency," another wrote.
"I use mine for seeds and then re-label," someone else said. "It seems to work. I'll try yours as well. Thanks."
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