Does anyone know if pharmacies will recycle your empty pill bottles? I take 9 medications every month, 6 of which come in the pharmacy bottles. I don't want to throw them away as I know they can be reused.
I do use some for storing beads. I have used them for storage, when I have mixed acrylic paints and only have small amounts left. I pour the paint into the appropriate sized bottle and smear a little of the paint on the top of the lid so I know what color is inside. But I was just wondering about pharmacies recycling them. Does anybody know?
Sheila from Decatur, IL
Have you tried having your pharmacy dispense your meds in paper envelopes? That way you are in effect "refilling" your own prescription bottles.
Note: How to Dispose of Meds: Please "do not" put down garbage disposal. You contaminate the water ways by doing that and those drugs end up in all kinds on unintended places and bodies. Old prescription meds and vitamins and OTC drugs are considered hazardous waste and should be disposed of at Hazardous Waste collection places. (03/09/2009)
By K. Osei
You could donate them to a free clinic with a pharmacy. You would need to remove the labels and clean them inside and out thanks. (03/10/2009)
By michaela
A new use I found for a few is to dispose of the lid and just use the bottle to store small items in the medicine cabinet. I keep toenail and nail clippers in one and a Burt's Bees lip gloss and a Chapstick in another. They stand up nicely and keep those items from falling off the shelf. You can just grab the little prescription bottle to get what you need.
I still end up with more empty prescription bottles than we can utilize for our own use so I occasionally take a bag of them over to the local animal hospital. They are most appreciative to get them as they have to buy them for dispensing pet meds. (03/10/2009)
If you take them in when you need a refill, the pharmacist can use your own bottles for your own new refills.
I have used a multitude of ideas from crafts, sewing, change for the car, skewers, nuts, and bolts. When I have broken something sharp I put it in one before sending to the garbage. Anything small you open can be put into a script bottle. Vitamins, etc. come in recyclable bottles, check the bottom.
I also use my 6" tall script bottles for vitamins that don't have child proof caps, they are dark in color and also can be labeled to be high out of the reach of kids. (03/10/2009)
By Grandma J
Take them to your vets, but ask first. That is what I do, as well as many people here in my small town. (03/10/2009)
I use them to store small screws, tacks, and such. My grand daughter loves to pretend she is cooking so we made her a spice collection for her play kitchen. I use one to carry my spare change in.
Debbie (03/10/2009)
By debbie
Hi Sheila, I saw that you are from Indiana, I found a place through earth911. I have a Whole Foods store nearby, their recycling machines will take medicine bottles, I see there are stores in IN. I don't know if you are nearby one. The site is earth911.com it should be able to tell you nearby places by zip code. You would be looking for recycle plastic #5 . Good Luck and Thank you for your post.
Lizz (03/21/2009)
By Lizz
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