As households go through prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs, the medicine bottles will pile up. To dispose of these bottles in a safe and green manner, visit a local pharmacy to ask what their recycling services are. Pharmacies like Walgreens will provide Safe Medication Disposal Program envelopes. These envelopes typically cost a small fee ($2.99, according to the Walgreens website) and can be picked up at the counter.
Charities like AMVET also accept empty, clean and label-less pill bottles, which are collected for reuse in impoverished countries.
Before medicine bottles are turned over, a thorough, antiseptic wash to remove stray pill fragments is mandatory. The presence of the label depends on the institution, though most prefer it to be removed.
If medicine bottles aren’t empty, many police stations also will take and dispose of medicines as a matter of public health.