One small-business owner found an ingenious way to package their products that cuts down on costs and waste, and it's very simple: repurposing empty pill bottles.
The scoop
Ren (@grunge.granny) is a small-business owner who finds ways to reuse or repurpose household items for packaging when shipping their products. In a TikTok video, they shared a unique way to package small sculptures made by their daughter.
@grunge.granny I post a lot about reusing paper and cardboard, but finding ways to reuse plastic has been my next challenge! Should I paint them? I kind of like them being transparent! #creativereuse #recycled #repurpose #shippingorders #tiktokartists ♬ Love You So - The King Khan & BBQ Show
In the video, Ren demonstrated how they package the delicate sculptures in old medicine bottles, preventing them from being smashed in the mail and reducing plastic waste.
"I post a lot about reusing paper and cardboard, but finding ways to reuse plastic has been my next challenge!" Ren wrote in the video's caption.
How it's helping
Repurposing containers and packaging is a good way to save money on buying new products and reduce the waste associated with sending packages, especially for a small business that mails many items.
This is especially true for plastic containers, which can replace traditional plastic packaging and help protect delicate items. Plastic packaging is one of the most significant generators of plastic waste, most of which is not recycled properly and ends up in landfills, where it creates loads of pollution.
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Landfilled trash takes a long time to break down. Polypropylene, the most common plastic in medicine bottles, takes around 20 to 30 years to fully decompose. Additionally, as plastics break down, they leach microplastics and toxic chemicals into the soil, which is bad for the environment and human health.
Medicine bottles are difficult to recycle because they often aren't accepted curbside. If you need to get rid of them and can't recycle them, you may be able to donate them to churches, homeless shelters, or animal shelters, where they can be used for storing or shipping medications.
What everyone's saying
Commenters were happy to share other ways to use medicine bottles to keep them out of the trash.
"I put beads and sewing needles google eyes and other craft supplies in them," wrote one.
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Saving money 💰 "Have you seen people make string lights with them?" said another.
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