Woman demonstrates brilliant hack to make use of your empty medicine bottles: 'So smart actually'

Following TSA's liquid restrictions is one of the most frustrating parts of packing for any flight. However, one TikToker is helping simplify the task by sharing a hack for repurposing a common household item to meet the size requirements. 

The best part? You'll save money and reduce plastic waste in the process.

The scoop

TikToker LaIndia Santos (@flyingphirstklass) took to the popular platform to share how she reuses all those empty plastic pill bottles that too often end up in landfills. 

@flyingphirstklass I hate spending money when I don't need to! This is how I save my little extra $1 or 2 while also taking up less space in my bags. Prescription bottles are great as travel sized containers . IYKYK!! They are durable and they come in so many sizes. If you have some lying around in your cabinet or have family members just tossing them. Grab them for your travel stash! I've wasted enough money with the store ones. They don't last, the break, or they are really hard to clean. I also reuse ziplock baggies for hair care or lotion too! What items around the house do you reuse for travel? . . #sustainabletravel #travelsustainably #responsibletraveler #travelhacksandtips #traveltips #recycleandreuse ♬ original sound - LaIndia Santos

"These are free travel-size containers," Santos says in the video. 

In the video caption, Santos adds, "They are durable and they come in many sizes. If you have some lying around in a cabinet or have family members just tossing them, grab them for your travel stash…[Store options] don't last, they break, or they're hard to clean."

The average empty pill bottle is 8 drams, holding 1 ounce. TSA guidelines say liquids and gels must be in containers smaller than 3.4 ounces.

Before reusing, just make sure you clean any medication residue out of the pill bottle. GoodRx advises that a simple rinse with water should do the trick, though a deeper clean with soap and warm water may be best for certain medications.

How it's helping

According to GoodRx, Americans fill more than 4 billion prescriptions per year. That's a lot of empty pill bottles. Unfortunately, pill bottles often aren't accepted in curbside recycling due to their small size and potential contamination if not cleaned.

Plastic pill bottles are an example of unavoidable plastics in our lives — at least until more eco-friendly options are readily available. According to Reader's Digest, amber-colored and opaque plastic pill bottles help preserve medication potency by acting as a barrier against moisture, sunlight, and air. The durability of plastic is also important for effective child-locking features on pill bottles and safe human handling.

Reusing pill bottles as TSA-approved travel containers helps reduce plastic waste by giving these unavoidable materials a longer life. Plus, you won't be purchasing new plastic containers instead, helping decrease plastic demand.

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You'll also save a good deal of money with this free alternative to travel-size bottles. Just be sure to avoid putting water-like items, such as micellar water or hair oils, into pill bottles as they are not leakproof. Instead, save watertight travel-size bottles for these items.

What everyone's saying

Commenters were excited to try the hack on their next flight, praising its practicality and reuse potential.

"So smart actually,"  one commenter wrote.

"Can you do this with carry-on luggage at the airport?" another commenter asked. 

Santos responded, "You can [use them in] carry-on luggage! That's how I use them so it can pass TSA."

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