Upcycling is a great way to save money using things you already have. Need a watering can for your garden? Try an old plastic milk jug. Need a low-cost kitchen cleaner? Try squeezing some lemons into cleaning vinegar.
One Redditor has been using old pill bottles to keep small objects together in desk drawers, but they were curious if anyone else had suggestions for how to reuse these little durable containers.
"I was wondering if anyone could suggest some craft projects for them?" they asked on the r/upcycling subreddit. "I can't seem to find much outside of reusing them for storage. Any ideas are much appreciated!"
"Also a good camping repair kit, sewing kit, coin holder, or pill bottle for individually wrapped OTC meds," one user suggested.
"Great for storing spices when you buy them in a bag!" added another.
In addition to saving money on store-bought boxes or containers, reusing pill bottles can stop them from ending up in landfills, where they will contribute to the production of potent planet-warming gas methane.
These bottles, typically made with thick plastic, will not degrade for centuries, all the while taking up landfill space and leaching the harmful petrochemicals used to make them.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 5.6 million tons of plastics were combusted in 2018, which would have released toxic fumes that would encourage planet warming and potentially result in health issues for people living and working in the area.
But if you can't find a way to reuse plastic pill bottles at home, that doesn't mean someone else can't make the most of them. One commenter on Reddit pointed out that some pharmacies will gladly take back old pill bottles and use them again, while another noted they can be donated to ship medical supplies to places in need.
There are endless possibilities to stop the overconsumption of plastic products and to reduce the need to make more of these items.
"I've used them for storing a bunch of little things from rubber bands to extra lego pieces," one user suggested. "Also when I travel I use them to store my jewelry."
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