Although avoiding plastic products in favor of more planet-friendly materials is a good idea, it's not always possible.
So many things we buy or own are made of plastic and have no alternatives, such as the bottles that medications come in. Luckily, one TikTok user recently found a way to make those bottles less wasteful.
@relauren it's hard to #refuse this type of #plastic, so here's a way to #reuse it! 🔁 #plasticfree #singleuseplastic #upcycle ♬ Sunny Day - Ted Fresco
The scoop
"Raise your hand if you hate that medicine comes in these plastic containers," sustainability content creator ReLauren (@relauren) asked her 224,000 followers.
However, ReLauren also shared that she had discovered a charity called Matthew 25: Ministries that accepts mailed-in donations of empty plastic pill bottles for inclusion in shipments of medical supplies.
"Now, here's a better question," she concluded. "Who wants to innovate a plastic-free alternative to these bad boys?"
How it's helping
In 2021 alone, Americans discarded 51 million tons of plastic, and only 5% was recycled, according to research by Greenpeace.
"Corporations like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé, and Unilever have worked with industry front groups to promote plastic recycling as the solution to plastic waste for decades. But the data is clear: practically speaking, most plastic is just not recyclable. The real solution is to switch to systems of reuse and refill," Lisa Ramsden, Greenpeace USA senior plastics campaigner, told the Guardian.
That's why, until we get functioning recycling systems in the United States, solutions that reuse plastic pill bottles are the best options. And sending them off to be used in disaster relief, while certainly one good option, is not the only one. One mom recently shared a hack where she uses empty pill bottles to make little ice packs for her kids.
What everybody is saying
Some of ReLauren's commenters also had helpful information about what to do with old pill bottles.
"Animal shelters often reuse them too!" wrote one commenter. "Just make sure they're clean, have the labels taken off, and that they're actually in need of them."
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