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If you’ve ever procured a prescription in tablet form from the pharmacy, you are familiar with the little plastic bottles and fitted child-proof caps.

In Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), the bottles may be recycled – picked up, sorted and sent to a processing plant. However, the bottle caps end up in community landfills, according to Marlena Switzer, AKA Hathi to 1st Sackville Cub Scouts in Lower Sackville.

Switzer said there is a better option for the life of pill bottles and that is to donate them.

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Switzer, a volunteer leader with Scouts Canada, was looking for projects last year that the Beavers (children five to seven years old) could accomplish, given COVID-19 restrictions.

The challenge was to meet the North Star badge requirements, which included community service and an activity to try to promote the community. The leaders brainstormed and came up with three options.

“If you think about organizations like Doctors Without Borders, you realize that they don’t have medicine bottles and (in some cases) they’re handing out medications in tissue paper.”

“Last year (we) gave the kids three (ideas): to do a food drive, collect jackets or this (medicine) bottle drive.”

The effects of the bottle drive on community are two-fold, she explained. For one, the (medicine) bottle drive keeps plastic caps out of landfills. Secondly, the bottles are collected and sent with medical supplies from North America to organizations operating in low-income countries where, noted Switzer, the bottles will be used “over and over and over again.”

“If you think about organizations like Doctors Without Borders, you realize that they don’t have medicine bottles and (in some cases) they’re handing out medications in tissue paper.”

Switzer said recycling in their own community and helping people in another community are ideas that resonate with young Beavers and Cubs.

“The kids were so excited about it … they wanted to help!”

The Beavers and Scouts started by asking friends and family to save their bottles. Then several non-profits, including local churches, collected on the Beavers’ behalf, and the number of bottles grew. In just six weeks – and in time for the (twice-yearly) donation deadline - they had gathered 468 bottles, boxed and ready to share.

The Beaver and Cub Scouts are working on the project again this year with a goal, said Switzer, of 5,000 bottles. They are already near 2,000.

“I’ve lost count!” she laughed.

Just as no donated bottles will be left behind, Switzer noted Scouts Canada is making sure every child who wants to join the youth club has the opportunity.

“All kids are welcome,” assured Switzer. “We say ‘no kid left behind.’ There are programs to ensure costs are covered. There’s always room for one more.”

Beaver and Cub Scout meetings are available on Zoom, one evening weekly. Visit scouts.ca for more information.

COVID-19 permitting, the 1st Sackville Cub Scouts will be collecting medicine bottles at the Pop-Up Specialty Market To Support Local Non Profits on Sunday, Feb. 27 at Brown Hall in Beaver Bank from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. If possible, Switzer asked that the labels be removed and bottles rinsed before dropping them off.

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