Pill Bottle Shredding: How to Dispose of Old Prescription Bottles

Over 70% of Americans use prescription bottles, with approximately four billion bottles sold every year. Most people toss their empty bottles into waste which leads to causing significant damage to the environment and themselves. This waste does not include over-the-counter medicine bottles for pain killers or allergies.

To reduce the tons of plastic waste, you must ensure the safe disposal of pill bottles. New Jersey offers various shredding services that shred and recycle the treated material.

Why Shred Pill Bottles?

You can recycle the pill bottles yourself and use them for different purposes. Most people keep it for different kinds of samples, pins, small goods that don’t come with containers. However, while recycling the amber-colored bottles can be a way to put them to good use, it is not recommended due to the #5 plastic they are made from.

If you dispose of your pill bottles in the recycle bin, they will most likely end up in a landfill because few recycling providers treat bottles made from #5 plastic. Plus, the smaller size is an additional problem. To ensure your bottles are shredded and recycled, you should find a recycling service provider who offers to shred the defined type of plastic.

Ensure Your Security with Pill Bottle Shredding

Casually disposing of pill bottles in the recycle bin not only harms the environment but also puts your safety at risk. Disposing of pill bottles without removed labels is a common reason for identity theft. Although the label on your prescription medication does not provide your entire medical history, it does contain sensitive personal health information (PHI).

Not only can PHI be misused for identity theft, but it is also a violation to throw labeled pill bottles into the garbage on account of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. You can take certain steps to safeguard your security from stolen information printed on pill bottles.

Be Diligent

Firstly, make sure that your prescription bottles reach the recycling service providers that treat your bottle’s plastic instead of filtering them out. Ensure that your prescription and pill bottles are shredded properly, and no labels remain that might give criminals what they need to steal your identity.

Be Discreet

Some pharmacies ask you for your personal information when buying certain medications. It is not recommended to hand out your personal information to strangers around you. A good pharmacist will understand your privacy concerns and discreetly your data from the prescription.

Be Curious

Doctors and pharmacists are legally required to dispose of your medical records properly. They are not allowed to dispose of your PHI in bins or trash receptacles which the general public can easily access. You should ask your doctor and pharmacist how your records are stored and disposed of to ensure your sensitive information remains secure.

Take Away

Proper disposal of pill bottles is important for your security and keeping the environment safe. The pill bottle plastic that ends up in landfills takes up to 30 days to decompose. Imagine how many pill bottles must be piling up in landfills when you take into account that Americans use four billion bottles used every year. Hence, to help you dispose of pill bottles, New Jersey shredders will keep your identity safe and the environment healthy by properly shredding and recycling them.