If you've ever hesitated before tossing a plastic pill bottle in the trash, you're not alone — and one Rhode Island Redditor is proving just how confusing local recycling rules can be.
The scoop
In r/RhodeIsland, a user posed a simple question: Can empty pill bottles be reused or donated locally?
Standard pill bottles might look recyclable, but state rules make it tricky.
According to commenters, most bottles under 2 inches in height and diameter must go in the trash, per Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corp. guidelines. That puts many prescription containers in a recycling gray zone.
Fortunately, users offered creative solutions. Several recommended checking with local animal shelters and veterinary clinics, which often reuse clean bottles for medication.
"Check your local vet or animal shelter. They will usually take them," one user said.
How it's helping
First and foremost, reusing pill bottles can reduce clutter at home and make travel easier.
Instead of buying small containers for organizing pills, vitamins, or even screws and nails, users are repurposing what they already have. That's a quick time and money saver.
Environmentally, the impact adds up. Reusing or properly recycling pill bottles keeps plastic out of landfills and prevents it from polluting waterways, where microplastics harm marine life and enter the human food chain.
Knowing your recycling options, especially with items such as prescription bottles, can help reduce your waste footprint.
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The consensus? Don't trash those bottles — reuse or donate them.
One user noted that CVS and Miriam Hospital have visible drop-off locations.
"I save mine and my partner's to deposit there," they commented. "Or we'll split other OTC meds into the smaller bottles to use when traveling."
One DIYer shared their own hack: "I use them in my garage for nails and screws and just label the bottle with what's in it."
For anyone with a growing pile of pill bottles, this thread proves there's a better outlet than the bin and that it will help an animal shelter or just help you organize your glove compartment.
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