One of the downsides of using many products is the amount of packaging waste you can produce unless you know how to upcycle them. 

This Reddit post demonstrates a useful way to repurpose empty bottles of contact lens solution — by turning them into travel-size toiletries.

Anyone traveling through airports may stress over TSA's strict guidelines about carry-on toiletries, which should be no more than 3 ounces. Instead of constantly buying new travel-size items for each trip, you can save money and reduce plastic waste by refilling small bottles you already have. 

Use empty contact lens solution bottles like the original poster, or save those hotel toiletries to refill with products from the larger bottles in your bathroom. 

The Redditor had to make some adjustments to make the lens solution bottle easier to use. They stated: "I found a way to open the cap for those and enlarged the hole on those and boom, it's an absolute leak proof travel bottle for anything." 

With a market share valued at $2.5 billion in 2023,  according to Dataintelo, people are spending lots of money on these travel-size toiletries. By working with what you already have, you can save money for other things on your trip, like a better hotel room or more happy hours. You can also save aquatic wildlife from choking on or getting caught in plastic, which contributes to 85% of waste in oceans, according to the UN Environment Programme. 

By not adding more plastic to landfills, you can do your part to slow the overheating of the planet — plastic turns to methane as it slowly breaks down. You can control your consumption by supporting organizations, such as Trashie and ThredUp, that recycle plastic or buy, sell, or give store credit for quality used items. 

In response to the Redditor opening the door for "some suggestions/time tested tricks, people use here," one commenter recommended that herb lovers should "buy them fresh or grow them yourself. … Fresh herbs can be used more than once. Also, less waste in packaging."

Another commenter exclaimed: "Omg thank you!! I've been needing this."

🗣️ Which factor would most effectively motivate you to recycle your old batteries?

🔘 Getting money back 💰

🔘 Decluttering my junk drawer ✨

🔘 Helping the planet 🌎

🔘 I don't recycle batteries ❌

🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.