Where Can You Recycle Old Prescription Bottles in New York?

You have a few old prescription bottles laying around the house. Can you put them into the recycling bin to get rid of the empty bottles? Or are these one of the plastic things that you need to throw away instead of putting them into your recycling bin?

What can go into your recycling bin without question are #1 and #2 plastics that have been rinsed out. But what about the #5 plastic that those prescription bottles are made from?

Can you toss those old prescription bottles in your recycling bin?

Check with your recycling provider, but the odds are the answer to that question is no. No, you can't put them in the recycling bin, because they are a different type of plastic compound than #1 and #2 type plastics.

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READ MORE: Other items that cannot be recycled

What makes these prescription bottles so different?

The type of plastic that these prescription bottles are made out of is polypropylene, which makes them durable and reusable, but they don't mix well with other types of recycling.

What can you do with these old prescription bottles?

You can reuse them in your home. Maybe you can use them to store herbs, coins, or batteries, there is no limit to your imagination as to what you can use the bottles for.

Is there a recycling company near us that will take the bottles for recycling?

The first thing you should do is contact your recycling company and ask them specifically if they take the #5 plastic prescription bottles for recycling. If they don't ask them where they suggest, this is probably a question that they have gotten many many times.