If you’ve ever tossed an empty orange prescription bottle into your curbside recycling cart, you’re not alone—but it’s important to know these containers cannot be recycled through standard curbside programs. Their small size, bright orange color, and type of plastic (often a mixed or lower-grade resin) make them difficult for sorting equipment to identify and process. As a result, they’re typically pulled out as contamination and sent to the landfill.
Fortunately, there are meaningful alternatives that keep these bottles out of the waste stream while supporting great causes. One option is to send your clean, label-free bottles to CoCo Plum Sunglasses, a company that transforms them into stylish, durable sunglasses. By repurposing prescription bottles into new consumer goods, CoCo Plum helps close the loop on hard-to-recycle plastics and demonstrates how creative reuse can reduce waste while producing something useful. Click the hyperlink above for more information about mailing in your bottles or drop-off locations. (They also accept old sunglasses!)
Another excellent reuse opportunity is through Matthew 25: Ministries, a nonprofit that ships donated prescription bottles to developing countries. There, the bottles are used to safely dispense medications—something many clinics and communities lack. Your donated bottles help protect medicines from contamination, moisture, and accidental ingestion, while supporting global health efforts in underserved regions. Before donating, be sure to remove labels, adhesive, and any remaining medication. Wash and dry the bottles thoroughly. By choosing to repurpose or donate your orange prescription bottles, you’re not only preventing waste—you’re helping support health, sustainability, and innovation both locally and around the world.
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