Posted byLex has a question:
Where I live, prescription medication pill bottles cannot be recycled or refilled by a pharmacist. You are supposed to just throw them out — is that true everywhere?
I am trying to reduce how much goes in the garbage, so I am looking for some ideas to reuse them. I have already found a few alternate uses – storing small craft supplies like beads, as well as keeping one in my purse filled with over the counter antacids — but I feel like some Homies might have some other ideas.
I have seen them used in art pieces, but I am looking for something quasi-practical if possible. I don’t want to hoard them, but I feel bad just tossing them. Ideas?
Ooh, good question fodder, Lex! I use old prescription bottles for two things:
- I’m awful about keeping change with me for parking meters, so I’ve taken to keeping a bottle filled with quarters in my bag. Compact, easy to get to in a full bag, and I always have change.
- Keep a couple old bottles in your bathroom so you can fill them with small amounts of shampoo when you travel. Instant mini-shampoos!
Homies, what you got? What are your bright new purposes for old prescription bottles?
Ok now I wish I had more pill bottles around for all these ideas!! I just recycle them.. must start saving! 🙂 (and must not wish the need for more medicine upon myself in the meantime…)
I use some in my first aid kit I keep in my trunk with stuff you might need in an emergency benedry, tylenol, ibuprofen, antacids etc. I also have one holding matches, another holding a sewing kit, and one holding safety pins. Just because I’m a total craft nerd, of course I drew cutesy little pictures with words of what each bottle holds. Then my friends asked for some, then my ex-husband, who is a Marine, thought they were awesome and wanted me to make him some to send to friends overseas. None with meds, but he said that a lot of times our guys and gals will loose a button, or velcro will come loose, and they just don’t have anything to sew them up with and end up using duct tape. So I started making some sewing kits with heavy duty OD green thread and black thread with the military buttons (you can find used BDU’s in almost any Goodwill) and some heavy needles to go through their heavy duty twill (or whatever it is). And they’ve been a hit. So I’ve got camping buddies, survival buddies, stay at home mom buddies all sorts of buddies with my ‘survival kits’ that they keep in their cars, backpacks, military tents whatever. It’s kind of cool to see all that!
This is great – thanks!
One of the women in my quilting group uses an old prescription bottle for an on-the-go sewing kit. It’s the perfect size for a few threaded needles, a thimble, a few pins and a seam ripper
I am a soon-to-be pharmacist, and in addition to the numerous ideas already listed, a customer once came into the pharmacy to ask for some spare bottles to use in his tackle box. Know any anglers? They’d probably love such a thing.
Caution, though: the reason pharmacies can’t reuse old RX bottles is because we can’t guarantee that they will continue to be child-safe after one use. If you are storing OTCs or other meds in older vials, they may not be safe around kids or pets (even if you’re still using the original cap).
I’m also going to repeat the suggestion that you wash out any vials you’re going to use, even for personal use. It doesn’t take much of a penicillin or sulfa drug, for example, to spur an allergic reaction.
When I was coaching youth soccer one of the parents had made super handy emergency kits for team staff. I’ve stolen her idea and used the same concept for camping, a small go to kit in my purse and glove compartment, etc. For the ‘coach kit’ she drilled a small hole in the lid of a pill bottle then ran 550 cord through it, knotting the underside. That way the lid screwed on but the kit could hang around the coach’s neck. The bottle was filled with 4 Benedryl, some bandaids, alcohol wipes, neosporin packets, and a few tylenol. For canoeing, in my purse, etc I don’t drill holes in the lid but the rest is the same. I stuff them full of all sorts of things, including little sewing kits. They protect the contents against water too, which is WONDERFUL. They’re also great for throwing in a spare house key and burying it an inch or so below the soil next to the front door. The key stays clean and well hidden. Battery storage… safety pins… pony tail holders… pill containers have SO many uses! 🙂
One of the doctors I work with goes on mission trips to South America. She always asks for extra bottles to give her patients their medications, so I bring mine into work.
I use them to store earrings and other similar small items when I travel. Or even just in my purse. I have so many.
I get MANY of these bottles each month and started saving them when I heard of a local church collecting them. They no longer do this but I am still accumulating both prescription bottles and the green ones that vitamins and supplements come in. I get the labels off easily by partially filling a cup or bowl with liquid cleaner and putting enough water in the presctiption bottle to keep it submerged. I have tried both Simple Green and a generic cleaner called Awesome. When I remember to check them, the labels rub right off, whether the label was peeled off prior or not; mp gummy residue left at all! Works MUCH better thann soaking them in the dish pan.
WD-40 will remove the residue rapidly with no harmful effects.
G.E.O.C.A.C.H.E.S.
Camouflaged with pine cone or moss and hung in trees, glued to the bottom of rocks (Billikens Rock!), stuffed inside a teddy bear’s backpack and hidden in a tree (Do Bears Cache In The Woods?).
EMERGENCY GRAB ‘n RUN Bag
Terrific for toothpaste, shampoo, soap, batteries, powdered Ensure, peanut butter, razor knife blades, thread and needles, matches. A must have for winter driving.
FISHING TACKLE BOX
Weights, leaders, tiny hooks, wipes, whet stone, bait, peanut butter (for quick energy).
I’d like to say I use them in the garage for tiny, miscellaneous parts but …well … I’m not THAT organized!
They are great to hold those Christmas tree bulb hangers. They usually come in a package that once you open it they are everywhere. Also store those replacement bulbs and fuses that come with a new string of Christmas lights.
I use the orange ones to hold a portion of nuts. They are easy to throw in my lunch bag and purse and keep me from overeating or grabbing unhealthy snacks.
I once read about a woman who started a movement of collecting prescription bottles and sending them to doctors doing charity work in third world countries. They often don’t have anything to put medication in for the patients they see. It was very successful but I can’t find the information again. People were sending their bottles to her and she was sending box loads of them to these doctors.
I use mine to make hide a key holders, I glue a rock on top. And with the large ones I make first ad kits for cars. I add a dollar bill and a few matches also. I gave these for gifts at Christmas. I went to my local contracter supply store and ordered the single use packs of sting cream etc.