Many people typically toss their empty prescription bottles after finishing their medications. Redditor rtg2015 posted to the r/adhdwomen subreddit and shared her relatable dilemma about an "embarrassingly large graveyard of pill bottles" stored under her sink, admitting she keeps telling herself she'll remove the labels and recycle them "one day, but that day has yet to come."

Her honest post sparked dozens of helpful responses and revealed a surprisingly simple solution.

The scoop

Instead of letting empty pill bottles pile up or tossing them in the trash, commenters shared multiple ways to give these containers a second life. The most popular suggestion came from Redditor takemylifeback4. 

"If you can tear off the part of the label that has your name, you can donate them to your local animal shelter," the user advised. "They always need them for dog's meds."

The hack requires minimal effort. Simply remove the portion of the label containing personal information, and the bottles are ready for donation. 

Other commenters suggested checking with local pharmacies, which often have collection bins that "look like a mailbox," or exploring organizations that send empty bottles to developing countries that lack access to proper medication storage. 

How it's helping

This simple donation hack saves pet owners and animal shelters significant money on their medication storage costs. Animal shelters need small containers for dispensing prescription meds to sick and recovering animals, and purchasing new bottles adds unnecessary expense. 

Donating empty pill bottles can also help reduce the waste that crowds our landfills and help protect our oceans from waste. These containers can take hundreds of years to decompose in a landfill — and those that make their way into waterways threaten the health of marine life.

What everyone's saying

The Reddit community loved the animal shelter donation tip.

"Oh, this is a good idea, I didn't even know this was a thing! I love it," one user commented.

Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics? Giving me money back 💰 Letting me trade for new stuff 👕 Making it as easy as possible ⚡ Keeping my stuff out of landfills 🗑️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Others shared additional creative uses, like storing travel-sized medications, jewelry, or dog treats.

Every little bit helps when it comes to showing some love to the planet. From reselling your old clothes and electronics to getting creative with your recycling options, small actions can make a big difference in reducing waste — and sometimes, it can even help our pets get the care they need. 

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