A person looking to make the most of empty pill bottles turned to Reddit for advice and received a variety of clever options to save them from the trash.
The scoop
In the r/ChronicPain subreddit, a homeowner acknowledged they had "so many empty bottles I don't know what to do with them."
"I wonder if I can do something artsy with them? Has anyone ever tried anything like that? Or just repurposing them, I wouldn't know what for though. Any ideas?" they wrote.
How it's helping
Repurposing items you have laying around for arts and crafts is a great way to save money, especially if you're a first-timer trying something new. Research has shown that any kind of crafting can have mental health benefits, which could be helpful for those with chronic pain.
Other people have reused bottles for travel, keeping beauty products handy on the go, or storage for small items, saving money on new products and reducing plastic usage.
Pill bottles also aren't easily recyclable at home, as they are often too small for most municipalities or are considered medical waste, meaning they end up in landfills. Plastic takes years to break down, contaminating soil and polluting the air if it doesn't end up in the ocean, where plastic waste continues to cause harm to sea life.
If repurposing isn't your thing and recycling isn't an option, there are organizations such as Matthew 25: Ministries, which accepts clean, dry bottles and redistributes them to those in need.
What everyone's saying
Redditors came to the rescue with dozens of suggestions, from the practical to the unique.
"My husband uses them to store seeds we collect from our garden for the next year," one person suggested, with the OP replying, "Oh that's so smart!"
"Recycle almost all of them," another advised, encouraging them to save a few for little things, noting that they also use them for seed storage.
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Giving me money back 💰 One person said they use theirs for craft storage, while another had a truly clever take, writing, "If you are crafty you can redecorate the outside and turn them into dnd miniature containers and sell them on Etsy."
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