Help, My Life, Tips & Tricks

Empty Pill Bottles Desperately Needed (Take your meds & help others!)

Ginger Ail

Pill bottles: those translucent orange soldiers that pile up all around us… in our drawers, cabinets, shelves… sometimes I wonder, if I had saved every empty pill bottle since I got sick could I build a small house by now?
Mountains of Pill Bottles
One thing I have always hated the most about being sick, is how you often need more help than you can give back. I’d see those specials on TV and think: I want to build a Habitat for Humanity house or dig wells in Africa with Oprah! (this might be an insomnia induced thought, but the general sentiment still stands).

Okay, so I can’t dig a hole in the blazing African sun. There are still a lot of ways to help others. Like this, this is a project with an idea so simple, it’s brilliant. I’ve tried this myself so I can vouch for how easy it is to do and how good it feels to pass on something that is trash to you, but will be a treasure to others…

Imagine you’ve walked miles to a remote village hospital to receive any form of medical care you can find.  You are given the medication you desperately needed and now you have to start the journey back home (often many miles).  You don’t shake the pill bottle maraca as you walk because there is no pill bottle, (there was barely medicine).  The pills bought in impoverished areas are often bought in huge quantities, in large jars, and doled out (if you’re lucky) wrapped in a tiny scrap of newspaper.

It doesn’t sound like a big deal at first. But the more I thought about it the more I realized: beyond the thought of just getting the medication home, what keeps the meds from swelling up from moisture by day 5? What keeps kids from getting into them? Or their getting lost? Those orange bottles that seem to accumulate so easily for us, can actually do more than you think for others…

How to Help:

Step 1:
When you finish your meds, save the bottle!  This includes bottles you might receive over the counter like for Advil, Motrin, vitamin bottles, supplements – as long as the bottles aren’t too (Large bottles just cost too much to ship).

Step 2:
Follow the instructions for preparing the bottles

Step 3:
Throw the bottles in a box or manila envelope, when you have enough of them, mail it off!

The bottles are not wasted in anyway. Once the meds are finished, the families often use the bottles in 100 other ways (just think of how helpful it could be to have a container with a lid that seals). And if the bottle you send isn’t able to be used, it will be recycled.

The New Organization is called:
Matthew 25: Ministries
11060 Kenwood Road
Cincinnati, OH 45242

Note: I have nothing to do with this organization. They state they are an international humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization helping the poorest of the poor, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally regardless of race, creed or political persuasion across the US and worldwide. They were cited on many sites throughout my research.

Help Animals! You can also try contacting your local animal shelter, vet or animal organization, a lot of them are happy to receive donated pill bottles!

681 thoughts on “Empty Pill Bottles Desperately Needed (Take your meds & help others!)”

  1. Ann Marie Zon, a former Felican sister, heard God call her to work with the mission in Nicaragura. Every summer she comes back to the central and western part of NY state and nothern and central PA and visits churches which donate to her mission. Every week in the summer the helpers pack up a shipping container and send it on it’s way to Nicaragura. I save the medicne bottles for her all year and a couple other people do also. She is thankful for them and some of them go to Hati. I am just glad they can be reused.

    Like

    Reply

        2. Marie, D.J Harmon is correct. It is due to the types of medications that are put into these bottles.
          The recycle mark on the bottom means that the bottle is MADE from recycled plastics.,

          Like

          Reply

        3. Drug stores are required to send all empty bottles, with or without labels, to be burned to protect hippa and any residues in bottles from getting into other supplies.

          Like

          Reply

        4. Not all numbered plastics are recyclable. The number designates how many times it have been previously recycled. Check with your local recycling company to see what numbered plastics they accept as most only accept a couple numbers.

          Like

          Reply

          1. The number indicates the type of plastic, not how many times it has been recycled. #1 is PETE (polyethylene terephthalate), and #2 is HDPE (high density polyethylene). #5 is PP (polypropylene).

            Different plastics require different recycling processes, and not all are a “favorable” process as of now.

            Liked by 1 person

            Reply

      2. They ARE recyclable! If you mean put them in a recycling bin and have them sent to a facility with other plastic recyclables. They cannot be reused by any pharmacy, or medical office due to sanitary and potential medication/allergy cross-contamination concerns.

        Like

        Reply

      6. I agree with you. In many places, they are not recyclable even though they are made from #5 plastics. The symbol means that they are made from a plastic that can be recycled later NOT that they are made of recycled plastic. In many areas, you cannot recycle #5 plastics because they are not accepted (I live in such an area and I’m on a non-profit recycle center board). Recycling #3-7 plastics needs toxic chemicals (#1 and #2 only need heat). Besides, recycling is NOT the answer. We need to reduce and reuse and this program does at least 1/2 of that. Drug interactions could be an issue, so I would also suggest washing these thoroughly. Kudos for someone seeing a need and fixing it!

        Like

        Reply

        1. Now, I will save them for this worthy cause. Malawi is the country from which the book “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” is derived. It is a fabulous true story of a smart 14 year old boy, William Kamkwamba, who made a windmill out of used parts from a junkyard to create electricity for clean water for his impoverished village.

          Like

          Reply

      8. They are recycled.. both the plastic and the bottles… you can also bring them to Publix and they will recycle them. However, I think I shall save them and send them to this organization in the future.

        Like

        Reply

  3. I will try to do this but wouldn’t it be good to send the left over meds too? There are dates on them. Really couldn’t these meds be used? I know people that get meds every time they go to dr and then never take them. Wish someone could use them. My family was missionary there for 50 yrs. Pleased to hear its this country as we care about Malawi. Husband & his brother speak the language.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Cheryl, unfortunately it is illegal to donate unused medicines even if they are not expired. Unused medicines are supposed to be disposed of. Pharmacies have contracted disposal services that deal with proper disposal. I know that it sounds like a waste but those are the regulations.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

        1. Christy,
          Will you give us an address in Oklahoma where we might be able to send meds that aren’t expired and still might help those who cannot buy meds…rather than be tossed as waste?
          Such a great idea…wish there was a place in NC.
          Thanks for sharing the idea.

          Like

          Reply

        2. That’s interesting, I figured there would be a lot of safety concerns because the meds could be tampered with. Sadly there are people who would do such a thing.

          Like

          Reply

        1. Try giving the meds to your doctor to pass along to people who don’t have insurance or money for meds. That’s what I have done in the past.

          Like

          Reply

        2. Have you tried a vet hospital or animal shelter? My dog was on Humulin N. After he passed away I was able to donate it to our Humane society. The rules for animals are a little more flexible than for humans.

          Like

          Reply

          1. That’s actually a great point Susan. When my dog passed, I took the meds he hadn’t used back to his Vet. The vet knew us so took the meds back to use on pets that needed help, but owners couldn’t afford the care. I know a lot of animal shelters will also take any type of donation you can offer.

            Like

            Reply

        5. My dog is diabetic and blind and uses that kind of insulin. I am interested in your insulin if you are looking to donate it. Thanks!

          Like

          Reply

        6. Check with your local police department. Many have a place where you can safely and securely deposit unused Ned’s. Do not flush them as it is dangerous for wildlife and fish.

          Like

          Reply

        10. Check for your nearest “free” clinic. If you have unopened in date medications…. They will taken them for people who cant afford medication.

          Like

          Reply

      5. Exactly, because after a drug leaves the pharmacy, no one can vouch for the storage conditions or if something was tampered with. For example, insulin must be kept refrigerated or it will lose potency a month after it reaches room temp. Or someone could leave their drug in a hot or cold car, ruining its effects. Or keep their med in their bathroom where it gets hot and humid frequently. Or switch what med was in the bottle. So many reasons why giving unused meds to be reused is dangerous.

        Like

        Reply

    2. I struggle with this as well. I know I have meds I can’t use, that others would literally die to have. But this is just too dangerous to do. The risk would be too great that maybe the meds had expired years ago and the sender just didn’t realize that or they think they are sending one drug but it’s really another and of course – not everyone is a kind hearted soul like yourself and you just never know what some people might send. I understand your desire to do this, as I’ve wished something like that existed myself but for now, at least we know the bottles are put to great use!

      Like

      Reply

      1. The expiration dates are mostly arbitrary. The medicine could lose potency, but even that is slight within a few years. As far as I know there has never been a case of an old medicine causing harm. The Army actually did a very long comprehensive study about this. Don’t take my word for it though, there’s always a chance I’m wrong. Just throwing it out there.

        Like

        Reply

  4. I was asked to do this for the veterinary clinic in Vieques, PR, and started doing some cost comparisons. One you start paying for the shipping of small packages, accumulating them, worrying about contamination, etc., you start getting into serious time and money. So I ordered 2 boxes of about 1000 each in two of the most popular size, had them shipped for free to my home, and then printed a label and sent them on to the vet clinic. They got 2,000 pill bottles for a total expenditure of less than $100! It costs over $1.50 to mail ten bottles to the address above. Multiply that times 200 and you get a cost of $300. Start a gofundme for this and earmark it for buying these bottles in bulk. I am willing to bet a buck that they companies that sell these things wholesale will work with charities and make an even better deal. The company I dealt with had free shipping, but not to PR.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. valuevials.com was the least expensive overall, including my cost to drop ship to PR. The company wanted a bundle to send to PR, but it was free to ship to me in the US, and the two packages cost me something like 30 bucks to send to PR.

        Like

        Reply

      1. The company provided free shipping to the US mainland but not to PR. They wanted a bundle for shipping “overseas” and I just mailed them from here when they came in. Overall less expensive.

        Like

        Reply

      1. If anyone wants to buy new bottles to send, that’s wonderful. But for many of us that have piles of these bottles sitting around, it’s a nice gesture to pass them on. Shipping depends on what size bottles you send and how many but they make flat rate shipping boxes, you can fit a lot of bottles into them & it’s one flat fee. I just put mine in a flat manila envelope & sent them that way, it didn’t cost much at all to send a pretty large pile of them.

        Like

        Reply

      2. Reusing bottles has a risk. Take finasteride for example. It can cause terrible birth defects if a pregnant woman handles the pills without taking them. I assume that handling the vials the pills came in would be only slightly less hazardous unless they were cleaned well. On top of that used vials have labels that have to be removed, etc.

        Like

        Reply

  5. Watch the movie, The Gods Must Be Crazy. Great movie and it’s an example of how people with nothing can come up with a million uses for even a bottle.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    2. I had searched Pinterest many times over figuring there must be a craft or something I could do with all those bottles (I saw someone made a chandelier haha!) but when I found this, I knew this was a winner! 🙂

      Like

      Reply

    1. That’s a good question, I don’t. You could go to the website & ask if there is a direct address you could send them to. I didn’t see it listed anywhere (that might be for safety reasons I don’t know).

      Like

      Reply

  8. This is a great idea!!! I just challenged
    All of my friends to do this. I know
    I’m going to do this. I have many medical issues which requires 10 pill
    Bottles a month for the last 10 yrs.
    I wish I heard about this sooner

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. File under stupid white westerners saving those who don’t need saving by stupid white westerners.

    HOW ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE THE MEDICINE FIRST?????

    For what it costs to ship EMPTY bottle, you could donate to an NGO to actually BUY medicine.

    Like

    Reply

    2. If anyone wants to donate money to buy medicine instead, that’s fantastic. But the medicine that is bought, is bought in bulk – ex: a thousand pills per bottle. So the problem still stands that they have no way to get the meds home, store them safely or protect them from the elements.

      If I can spend $3 in s&h and provide a pile of bottles to people that need them, I’m happy to do that. If someone else would rather donate the $3 for buying the drugs, that’s also great. But the truth is, many of us like *doing* something to help others and I for one, feel good that I am passing something on to help another. Sure it’s a teeny tiny gesture, but it’s still one all the same.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I agree, and I think since a lot of people end up throwing these pill bottles away, It’s way different that donating money. You are taking something that you no longer need and giving it a second life. I think that is a bigger deal than donating money. Especially when that small item makes such a big difference. and especially when you don’t have money to give at least you can be a part of the solution. I know it costs money to send the bottles, but a box of empty pill bottles compared to the amount of money spent to send it the bottles go further, than the money would. I think anyway. Either way it’s worth it.

        Like

        Reply

    3. It’s not an either/or, Mindy. I don’t have the money to donate, but I have scads of empty bottles. Giving money to help provide the meds is great if you can. But that doesn’t make sending the bottles pointless.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  11. I WILL help,but need to remind people,too,that you CAN recycle your bottles with your NEXT prescription in many places. Also,you can just put them out with the rest of your plastics recycling !

    Like

    Reply

    1. Absolutely. Really we can send any pill bottle as long as it’s not really large (like those large vitamin bottles) and it didn’t contain any chemo type drugs (for obvious reasons). They suggest people boil them in hot water – not only does this get rid of the label but it also cleans it really well.

      Like

      Reply

  13. Or, perhaps you all could reach out to Eli Lilly — which also is in Indianapolis — and ask them to come up with/share a water-proof, light-proof envelope that is not bulky and can be sent to any location in the world at a much lower cost than plastic bottles. Appreciate the concept and the heart behind the project, but sending plastic around the world and sending a type of plastic that should NOT be used to store food (which these probably most likely will be) isn’t the best idea.

    Like

    Reply

  14. Would it not be better just to send zip lock bags. They are cheaper, take up less space, can hold more than a small bottle , are water proof and you can send more for less money.

    Like

    Reply

  15. Soft pills would turn to dust in baggies the hard case and insulation to keep them from battering each other are probably both needed. They are not likely to be carried in the hand, but in a pouch or basket slung from arm, back or put atop head.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  16. People should be warned against sending Coumadin (warfarin) bottles since they are contaminated with the drug. Cytotoxic and chemotherapy medications also present unique challenges.
    Contact Berry Plastics. Most chain pharmacies pay around $50 or less for a bulk box of vials and about $40 for a box of lids. It would be a hugely efficient way to ship. Clean vials are MUCH safer. If each person willing to ship bottles donated the shipping as cash, $100 should pile up pretty quick!
    Medication stock bottles are usually made of recyclable plastic, but the amber/colored pharmacy repack vials are not. Though they can be reused, there is a great deal of caution needed against drug residues.
    ~your friendly community Licensed and Nationally Certified Pharmacy Technician.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  17. I saw a story last week on a news site that told of illegal sales of fake ( flour, ground plaster, etc) medications. Would these bottles be going there? I agree that they need to be recycled. When I was young, We had to turn our rx bottle over for a refill. Why did that stop? Someone screwed something up I am sure….but what?

    Like

    Reply

    1. April: I don’t know the person that started this program so I can’t vouch for them. I did wait, and watched this program for awhile before I spoke about it. I wanted to make sure nothing came to light about them, figuring if it wasn’t above board, some patient out there would figure it out quickly 🙂

      Like

      Reply

    1. Pam: I had mine in a bag that I kind of accidentally smushed & banged around for awhile before I shipped them & shockingly they were all fine. Medicine bottles seem to be pretty hearty. My understanding is when they arrive to the address in IN, they are they specially packaged, boxed and shipped overseas.

      Like

      Reply

  20. someone suggested putting a nickel or dime in each bottle, if you send to local people gathering these to send in bulk, to help with expenses.

    Like

    Reply

  21. Do they accept the small snap lid voles which hold strips for blood glucose meters. I have some of those saved. I will send what I can, better than throwing them away.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Maggie: I’m sorry, there isn’t. I don’t think this is a big operation. From what I read, it’s just someone that had an idea and wanted to help other people and they’re located in the US.

      I’m going to blog about other ways we can all help while literally spending almost nothing, it’s something I did years ago & changed my life. I’ll blog about it soon & hopefully that one will be easier for my friends in Canada to do if they want 🙂

      Like

      Reply

    1. She said a big bottle would be the size of the large vitamin bottle So I think you’re ok. They large vitamin bottles are about the size of a mason jar. That’s what I’m thinking anyway.

      Like

      Reply

  28. Thank you SO much for sharing this info! While being very sick for the past several years, I have accumulated MANY empty bottles (I just knocked about 20 of them out of my cabinet earlier today while trying to find something else). Due to the nature of some of my prescriptions and the sheer monthly quantity, I’m frequently hesitant to throw them away/put into our recycling as we have people who come into our neighborhood and dig through trash and recycling bins, and also a scary amount of violent crime in our city involving prescriptions, and didn’t want to be an obvious “target” for a break-in. This is fantastic!! 🙂

    Also, a little tip in case it might help anyone: if you have any trouble removing the labels or sticky residue left behind, a bit of tea tree oil and a paper towel will remove it easily. (Works very well on the impossible-to-fully-remove stickers on the bottoms of some dishes and basically any other sticky substance, as well.)

    Like

    Reply

  29. Hello. I have been sick a long time. I have many many bottles empty. If you send a box with return address to me I’ll happily give you upwards of maybe 400 to 500 bottles. How’s that sound? I would like for you to pay shopping bit not sure if you would do so. I want to help big time. Please acknowledge my email and lmk where we stand.

    Like

    Reply

  31. This is a great idea! I’ll start saving mine now and when I get enough I will send out my first package! I’ll send this to my friends to get them involved too! This is a great way to help people in need!

    Like

    Reply

  32. If these bottles are in such need, why don’t they hang on to the bottles for future meds instead of recycling them into something else?

    Like

    Reply
  35. Pingback: Empty Pill Bottles Desperately Needed (Take your meds & help others!) | The Rheumatic Roller Coaster

  36. Thanks — I’ve been looking for years for something like this. All the comments here raise interesting questons too. I’ve got one suggestion re getting labels off: I always remove them before recycling and i do it by taking one corner and rolling/peeling it off sticky side out. I squish it up into a tiny ball (doubt druggies would dig in trash for those.) Nine in 10 come off in one piece, and it’s less messy than soaking.
    For this purpose I would also rinse the containers in hot water. US Postal Service needs our help, too, haha — i think there’s a $5.95 flat rate mailer, all you can fit.
    PS Ginger I like your attitude.

    Like

    Reply

  37. I understand the importance of recycling but in my view the most important issue is giving the people the means and method to care for medicine they need to live. Mountains out of molehills in my opinion.

    Like

    Reply

  39. I have about 100-200 in a garbage bag so now I can give them away and help others and they’re not in my closet anymore!! 😃😃😃

    Like

    Reply

  40. I have LOTS of the snap-shut containers that glucose test strips come in. If they are safe for meds, I would be happy to donate them.

    Like

    Reply

  44. I’ll be saving them . I throw them in the recycling containers every month. Nothing wrong with sending where its needed.

    Like

    Reply

  45. I tried the boiling water method to remove labels. It removes the paper part but leaves the last layer with no words on it. Do I need to completely remove that residue? It’s going to take a lot of work to do that. Just didn’t know how much had to be removed. Thank you.

    Like

    Reply

  46. I have a question, and it might sound stupid, and sorry if it is. But since you specified a manila envelope I thought I’d ask about boxes. Are you able to accept boxes? My father is a hoarder and has a hard time just throwing anything away. We’ve been looking for a company to send the empty pill bottles to, but haven’t found any. So we have a stock pile of empty pill bottles ready to go. I’m so glad I came across this.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Nevermind I found my answer. I’ll be sending mine, Happy to help. it helps me get them out of our hair and helps others.

      Like

      Reply

  48. I actually had a question. I Take So Many Medicines that I have enough to send a box full of empty bottles. I was wondering if it would be ok to send a box. Please let me in now if that would be alright.

    Like

    Reply

  49. Do we have to ship in a manilla envelope? I’ve been saving mine for quite a while, waiting for something like this to come up. I would be fine sending a box of them, if you’ll accept them that way.

    Like

    Reply

Please Share your thoughts...