Medical & Pharmaceuticals recycling
How to Recycle Pharmaceutical Bottles
Plastic prescription and over-the-counter medication bottles, typically HDPE or PET. The bottle itself is ordinary recyclable plastic; the label and any leftover medication are what need extra attention before recycling.
RecyclableStandard curbside plastic recycling value; no special payoutUpdated Jul 2026
Quick answer
Empty prescription and OTC bottles are usually standard #1 PET or #2 HDPE plastic, so once you've removed the label and any medication residue, most curbside programs accept them like any other plastic bottle. Check the recycling code on the bottom and remove child-resistant caps if your program asks you to separate them.
- Recyclable
- Yes
- Typical value
- Standard curbside plastic recycling value; no special payout
How to Prepare
- 1Empty out any remaining pills or liquid and dispose of them through take-back, not the bottle recycling stream
- 2Rinse the bottle to remove medication residue
- 3