Every year, millions of empty prescription bottles end up in the trash after medications are used up. While they’re small, these sturdy containers are made to last. In fact, most prescription bottles are made from #5 polypropylene plastic, a durable, moisture-resistant plastic that’s perfect for all kinds of household uses.
Before tossing your next empty pill bottle into the recycling bin, here are 16 surprisingly practical ways to reuse empty pill bottles.
Store Garden Seeds
If you save seeds from your garden each year, pill bottles make excellent storage containers. They keep seeds dry, protected from moisture, and easy to organize. Label each bottle with the plant variety and harvest date so you’re ready for planting season.
Organize Screws, Nails, and Hardware
Tiny hardware pieces seem to disappear when they’re tossed into a toolbox. Pill bottles keep screws, bolts, washers, nails, and anchors separated so you can quickly find exactly what you need for your next DIY project.
Create a Mini First Aid Kit
Keep a small emergency kit in your purse, backpack, glove box, or hiking pack. Fill it with bandages, antiseptic wipes, pain relievers, tweezers, and antibiotic ointment for quick access when minor injuries happen.
Store Hair Accessories
Bobby pins, hair ties, barrettes, and clips are constantly getting lost. A pill bottle keeps them all together whether you’re at home or traveling.
Make a Travel Jewelry Holder
Protect rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets from getting tangled or scratched inside your luggage. The hard plastic offers much better protection than tossing jewelry into a cosmetic bag.
Keep Earbuds and Charging Cables Organized
Instead of digging through a tangled mess in your backpack or purse, coil up your earbuds or a short charging cable and store them inside a pill bottle.
Hold Cotton Swabs
Cotton swabs fit surprisingly well inside standard prescription bottles. They’re easy to grab while staying clean and dry.
Organize Craft Supplies
If you enjoy sewing, jewelry making, scrapbooking, or other crafts, use pill bottles for:
- Beads
- Buttons
- Sequins
- Sewing needles
- Safety pins
- Jewelry findings
- Glitter
Label each bottle so you can easily find what you need.
Store Office Supplies
Paper clips, thumbtacks, rubber bands, push pins, binder clips, and staples tend to clutter drawers. Pill bottles help keep your workspace organized.
Make a Portable Sewing Kit
Fill one with a few needles, thread, safety pins, small scissors, and spare buttons. It’s the perfect emergency sewing kit for travel or your car.
Keep Spare Change in Your Car
Quarters fit neatly inside many prescription bottles, making them perfect for parking meters, laundromats, toll roads, or vending machines.
Related: 15 Valuable Dimes You Could Find in Your Spare Change Toda
Pack Travel Toiletries
Use larger pill bottles for small amounts of lotion, shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen, or moisturizer. They’re compact enough to save valuable suitcase space.
Make a Hidden Emergency Cash Stash
Roll up a few emergency bills and keep them inside a labeled pill bottle in your glove compartment, travel bag, or emergency kit.
Protect Fragile Items During Shipping
Need to mail jewelry, tiny collectibles, or delicate electronic parts? Place them inside a pill bottle before packing to provide extra protection during shipping.
Donate Them to Animal Shelters
Many veterinary clinics, foster organizations, and animal rescues reuse clean prescription bottles to dispense pet medications. Call your local shelter first to see if they accept donations.
Recycle Them Properly
If you don’t plan to reuse your bottles, check whether your local recycling program accepts #5 plastic. Some pharmacies and community recycling programs also collect prescription bottles, making it easy to keep them out of landfills.
Before You Reuse Prescription Bottles
Always wash bottles thoroughly with warm, soapy water before reusing them. Remove or completely cover prescription labels to protect your personal information, especially if you’re donating or giving bottles to someone else.
With just a little creativity, those empty orange bottles can become some of the handiest organizers in your home instead of ending up in the trash.
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