A Redditor on the subreddit r/Anticonsumption sought solutions to a common problem: What to do with all those empty pill bottles?
The scoop
"Hey all, I'm sure I'm not alone in amassing a bunch of those empty orange pill bottles you get when your prescription's refilled," the user said. "Does anyone have any ideas on what to use them for? They seem like they're too small to be recycled."
The comments were filled with clever solutions such as using them to store art supplies or to propagate seedlings. Several commenters suggested donating them to charity or even a sunglasses company, but one idea stood out as especially simple and sweet.
A helpful commenter directed the OP to their local animal shelter, saying that many reuse these bottles when animals that need medication are adopted or fostered.
"Ours takes them (clean and without labels) and uses them to dispense meds needed by newly adopted pets," the commenter wrote.
How it's helping
This smart move has a doubly beneficial effect.
It repurposes an item many people have a surplus of, and it keeps plastic out of landfills and waterways.
Chucking stuff into the recycling and just hoping it will be recycled is "wishcycling."
As Roadrunner Modern Waste explains: "Also known as aspirational recycling, wishcycling leads to an array of problems in the recycling process. Even though it seems like the right thing to do, wishcycling is one of the biggest challenges facing the recycling industry to date."
Knowing recycling regulations is integral to successful recycling.
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Should companies be required to help recycle their own products?
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Definitely 👍 In many places, small pill bottles are not considered recyclable. The Falmouth, Massachusetts, city guide states that "prescription medication containers are considered prescription drug waste and should NOT go in the recycling bin."
It adds that over-the-counter containers larger than 2 inches by 2 inches can be recycled, but bottles smaller than that can not.
Secondly, the practice of donating pill bottles to animal shelters, obviously, helps cats, dogs, and other furry (or similarly textured) friends — as well as the organizations looking out for them and keeping them safe.
What everyone's saying
"Our local shelter recently put out a request for these, because they go through them and always need more," one commenter said.
Turns out this is true all over the country. For example, Minnesota's Hennepin County's Choose to Reuse program suggests donating not only pill bottles but also old towels and bedding, tissues, zip ties, and other items that might otherwise end up trashed.
"Many animal shelters and rescues operate on limited budgets," according to the website. "Think of them the next time you're decluttering, especially for items that aren't suitable to donate to a thrift store."
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