One Reddit user is sharing the wealth after discovering a creative way to upcycle old pill bottles.
The OP posted a photo in the r/Propagation subreddit, showing fellow Redditors that prescription medicine bottles can make excellent alternatives to vases. The hack is an easy example of reusing items at home — and keeping them out of landfills.
The scoop
Upcycling old pill bottles and other household items can help reduce crowding in landfills and pollution in the ocean. According to researchers, nearly 80% of plastic waste generated globally ends up in landfills or in nature. Only about 9% of plastic is actually recycled.
Plastic pollution has an impact on both the environment and human health. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that plastic can take more than 1,000 years to decompose, leaving marine species at a high risk of ingesting or becoming entangled in the waste.
Upcycling presents endless possibilities. Redditors have discovered ways to upcycle pill bottles beyond their greenery, ranging from spice containers to coin holders.
How it's helping
Upcycling prescription bottles also saves time and money. Instead of paying for an expensive vase to display plants or flowers, the pill bottles are already at home.
GoodRx reports that more than four billion prescriptions are filled in the United States per year. Most curbside recycling programs don't accept the bottles prescriptions come in, but there are other ways to recycle them. Local recycling facilities have guidelines that help residents properly dispose of the bottles.
Plastic pill bottles aren't the only household items that can be upcycled or repurposed. Consider upcycling old clothes by turning them into kitchen rags. Not only does this hack help save money on paper towels, but it also helps reduce waste.
What everyone's saying
Not everyone was able to take advantage of the pill bottle hack. One Redditor had trouble removing the labels on their bottles.
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When you think about a product's packaging, which of these factors is more important to you?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
The way it looks 😍 "It's a wicked adhesive that stays on the plastic keeping it tacky and sticky forever," the Redditor commented.
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However, most commenters were baffled that they hadn't thought of this hack earlier.
"As someone with a few of those bottles around, I love this idea," one commenter wrote. "So many drugs have names just as complicated as some plants, so the irony I see there gives me a laugh."
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