Customer discovers little-known method to get rid of empty pill bottles lying around: 'Don't want to throw them away'

Getting a prescription may be a regular thing for you, but what do you do with the bottle once it's empty? It's made of plastic, so it's difficult to recycle. Luckily, one Redditor sought advice about this very thing, and their community had a solution. 

The scoop

In the r/Sacramento subreddit, the user asked: "Anywhere I can donate empty prescription pill bottles?"

They had already found ways to repurpose them, but there were so many that they didn't know what to do with all of the bottles. 

The Redditor added: "Hate the amount of plastic waste and don't want to throw them away." 

Luckily, someone replied: "Animal shelters take them sometimes. Try contacting the spca [Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals]." 

An animal shelter may seem like the last place you'd consider for donating pill bottles, but GoodRx noted that some animal shelters take prescription bottles. 

Conduct an online search for animal shelters in your area, then call or email them to inquire about pill bottles and ask about their drop-off rules. 

How it's helping

Donating is an easy way to get rid of all those leftover prescription bottles, and you're giving back to your community. Many animal shelters need financial support, but you may not always have the means to help. Donations are a great way to help and make an impact. 

Donating them to an animal shelter is also a great way to cut down on plastic waste. The Environment+Energy Leader estimated that 450 million tons of plastic waste are generated each year. Unfortunately, only 9% of plastic can be recycled two or three times before it becomes unrecoverable. 

Most of that plastic ends up in a landfill. According to BioNatur Plastics, a plastic bottle can take "1,000 years to decompose. But most plastics don't biodegrade; instead they break down into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic called microplastics." 

Should we be making prescription bottles out of paper? It's about time! I need to see it to believe it It'll never work I don't care Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Those microplastics can end up in the ocean, where they hurt marine life. 

A 2023 article from Mongabay said: "A recent estimate suggests that as much as 358 trillion microplastic particles are floating on the surface of the world's oceans."

These microplastics break down into nanoplastics and can harm plankton, the smallest of marine life that is vital for consuming the polluting gases that are warming the planet. 

So, your small donation of prescription bottles to help an animal shelter can help prevent all of this damage. 

The consequence of plastic waste is also why it's wise to know your local recycling options. 

What everyone's saying

Many users jumped in with suggestions to help, but one user provided some information: "Only #1 and #2 plastic can be recycled; pill bottles are #5. Certainly, they could be reused." 

Another Redditor was also interested in learning about this hack, asking: "Can you update when you figure it out, please?"

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