Are any pharmacy plastic bottles recycleable?

Question

I save my empty containers hoping they can be recycled or used for something else but feel it they create a lot of waste in the world.

Answer 1

I save empty pharmacy bottles too.  I tear off the label and my local pharmacist will put the new pills in the old bottles.  I'm just THAT crazy about recycling.  I once saw a major pharmacy chain had a bin for putting meds bottles with labels stripped.  But they stopped doing it.  Probably can't use them over without super sterilizing them or something that was too difficult.  Yay for you saving the prescription bottles...It's totally yukky that politics force consumers to pollute.  This governmental disease is certainly worse than whatever we're treating with our meds in non-biodegradable bottles.

Answer 2

you can take the empty bottles back to your local chemist  they would reuse them, and i know that they would be glad to have them returned as all the new ones that they need eats into any budget they have,hope this helps and is of use to you.

Answer 3

Hi,

I use old pharmacy bottles for the Herbal Remedies that I make. I know that here in Erie, that waste management does not consider the plastic in the pharmacy bottles recyclable as they are usually at least 60% post consumer to begin with.

If you are interested in unloading the bottles let me know I will put them to good use.

You never know, I might make a remedy that would help you as well.

In Christ's Love,

Jade

Answer 4

They are not recyclable in Western Massachusetts (where I work as a recycling professional) and in many areas. This is because they are small; small items such as lids, caps, and medicine bottles fall through the sorting equipment at the recycling facility. They are also a different type of plastic that can have a heat and cold insulating layer, which makes them harder to recycle into something else.

I like what some users have written about reusing them - great!

Here's a big thing to watch out for: DO NOT flush unwanted medications down the toilet! There is no way to remove these from water and therefore the water supply can be tainted with medications. This tainted water can harm human health and wildlife. Contact your local waste authority of how to discard. Or, to throw away unwanted medications, use the original bottle and tape it up or put inside plastic bag. Put in the trash.

Answer 5

I do not have an answer for your question, but I thought recycler's answer was very interesting.  I had always thought that you were SUPPOSED to flush them down the toilet.  Thanks for the info.

Answer 6

II think almost everything we use is recycle able.

Answer 7

I reuse my bottles to save my flower seeds in. I pick the seeds from my dried flowers in the summer and store them in the bottles till next spring. Save $$$ on buying new plants in the new season.

Answer 8

live and learn.  i've been recycling them since the day of the flood.  plastic is plastic.  it is surprising to learn that they aren't.  think i'm going to check out my local sanitation dept. just to be sure.

great question.