Can I Recycle Plastic Pill Bottles?
Can I Recycle Plastic Pill Bottles?
(Updated 2/19/2021)
If you want to know whether you can recycle plastic vitamin bottles, prescription pill bottles and other small plastic bottles and containers, it all depends on the type of plastic that the bottle is made of, and how large the bottle is.
First of all, most community recycling programs, if they take plastic at all, only want #1 and #2 plastic in your curbside bin (those are the numbers inside those little recycling symbols on the bottom of plastic containers).
Most prescription pill bottles are #5 plastic, which is not desirable in most community recycling programs. However, if you’re willing to make the effort, you can mail prescription pill bottles to Matthew 25: Ministries, which takes them for recycling and uses the proceeds in their charitable work.
You used to be able to mail your pill bottles to a company called Preserve, which took all types of #5 plastic like bottle caps, butter tubs, prescription pill bottles and so on. But their program is currently on hold. Visit this article for an update on the current state of #5 plastic recycling.
Bottle Size Matters for Plastic Recycling
Many vitamin bottles are made from #1 plastic, which is accepted in most curbside recycling, but before you put them into your recycling bin, you still need to make sure they are large enough. Our community recycling program uses the following rule of thumb: Plastic bottles need to be AT LEAST 2″ IN DIAMETER all the way around.
The reason for this minimum size is that at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) there are gaps of about 2″ between the spinning disc screens that are used to separate the plastic, glass, paper and metal cans. Glass will mostly be broken into shards by the time it reaches the MRF, so that will fall through to a lower conveyor belt where it is gathered up. Any other small items like lids, small bottles and other small pieces of plastic will end up falling through also, getting mixed into and contaminating the glass.
If your state has a bottle bill and collects glass separately, the sorting process may be slightly different, but the 2″ diameter is still probably a good rule of thumb. But as with all recycling rules, check with your community, they may vary.
So, small bottles of #1 and #2 plastic, if they are less than 2″ across on any side, will most likely slip through the screens and be a problem. The MRFs do not have time to pick that stuff out manually, so they ask that you leave it out.
Tips to Recycle Plastic Pill Bottles
For #1 plastic bottles, like the kind vitamins come in, try to make sure you buy larger, jumbo size bottles whenever you can. They’ll usually save you money in the long run anyway, and they’ll be large enough to throw in the curbside recycling (if your program takes plastics). Or if you have glass bottles, those are usually recyclable at any size (again, if your program takes glass).
For #5 plastic prescription bottles or smaller #1 and #2 plastic over-the-counter vitamins and so on, start an extra home bin for these. When you fill it up, you can mail it to Matthew 25: Ministries for recycling. Please contact them directly to see whether you need to remove labels and so on.
Thanks for this. I throw a ton of prescription and vitamin bottles out and even though our town takes all plastics #1-7, they don’t want bottles this small. I will send them on to Matthew 25 ministries and encourage others to do so as well.
Great!
A company such as Walmart should be required to offer collection of the millions upon millions of prescription bottles they generate through their pharmacies.
That would be helpful. I might actually go to Walmart if they did that.
I firmly agree, Rob. That would be an excellent solution. Any other pharmacy, should as well,
The best pollution prevention is EDUCATION!!! But that’s not enough to say it. How to do it is a problem: TV. Radios ask “money! ” !!! Social media is not enough… The school is trying… The end result is what we are facing now: a very hurtful REALITY! So much for the progress of science… We’re still polluting to NO END, unless something more drasting should be done. How about all grossery stores to have a more serious plan, like offering a coupon for pound of receiving reciclble items. All this could be also included in the price of mercendise…for theyr profit. Beside that, the recicling facilities to sort out more variety of reciclable items, supported by the manufacturer of such products… Just some ideas that could benefit the Planet, including WE and YOU= US!!! Thank you!
Should you screw the lid back on?
The lid issue depends on your community. Where I live, they tell us to leave the lids on. Other places, they want them left off because they are usually a different type of plastic than the bottle. I have an article all about plastic caps here: https://greenandgrumpy.com/how-do-i-recycle-plastic-bottle-caps/
Do you have to remove the labels? If yes what is the best way to accomplish this goal?
In general, if the label is easily removed (like a shrink sleeve around a water bottle or plastic soda bottle), it’s recommended to cut it off. If the label is a sticker that is not easily removeable, then don’t worry about it. However, if you are sending pill bottles to Matthew 25 Ministries, I believe they do want the labels removed. For sticker type labels, I soak the bottle in water to soften the label, remove as much label as possible, and then cover the remaining residue with a paste of oil and baking soda. Let it sit for a few minutes and then the gunk can be wiped off much more easily.
it has occurred to me that over the years the packaging industry has taken little or no interest in recycling. Proof of which is the labeling of such items. Many of the containers I come across; the recycling sign is difficult to find and almost always unreadable even with a magnifying glass. The industry should be required to make these symbols legible.
Yeah, I know. And a lot of brands are deliberately misleading. They will put “recyclable” on all kinds of items that are not actually accepted in 99% of community recycling programs.
Operation Christmas Child volunteers use these medicines bottle for sewing kits for girls and fishing, tools for the boys. In my areas I collect them from area churches then send them to volunteer across the country.