Funny how we started from fighting over bottles of alcohol on grocery shelves to now when there’s a surplus of them. Of course, there are still limits as to how many bottles one can purchase per transaction to prevent hoarding.
But chances are, in the four months we have spent so far in quarantine, we have accumulated bottles upon bottles of emptied rubbing alcohol along with handwashing soap and whatnot.
That is if you haven’t thrown them out yet. In that case, you might want to keep them as alcohol refilling stations will soon be available at select Mercury Drug branches in Metro Manila.
Ethyl alcohol brand Cleene announced on their Facebook page over the weekend that starting July 17, customers can have their empty 250 ml, 500 ml and 1,000 ml (1L) bottles (of any brand!) refilled.
All they have to do is bring their clean bottles at participating stores. Anything below 250 ml will not be entertained along with containers not suitable for rubbing alcohol such as gin and other beverage bottles.
The prices per volume are P30 for 250 ml, P58.75 for 500 ml and P115 for 1000 ml.
Each consumer is allowed to purchase only a maximum of 1 L of Cleene Ethyl Alcohol by combining any of the following quantities and volumes:
- Two 250 ml bottles
- Two 500 ml bottles
- One 250 ml bottle and one 500 ml bottle
- Four 250 ml bottles
- Two 250 ml bottles and one 500 ml bottle
- One 250 ml bottle and one 500 ml bottle
- One 1,000 ml bottle
Each newly refilled bottle will have barcode stickers to indicate that they have been purchased in good condition.
Still, of course, when water and soap are within reach, it is still advisable to wash our hands thoroughly instead of just dousing them with alcohol.
You may visit the following Mercury Drug branches starting July 17 to refill your alcohol bottles:
- EDSA Congressional
- Retiro Mayon
- Trinoma Mall M1
- Farmer’s Plaza
- Robinsons Galleria
- Ever Commonwealth
- Lagro, Novaliches
- Scout Borromeo
- Q-Plaza Cainta
- Cainta, Ortigas Ave. Extension
- Binangonan Pag-asa
- Shoppesville, Greenhills
- San Juan City, Greenhills, Ortigas Ave.
- Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong
- EDSA Central Pavilion, Mandaluyong
- Paseo De Sta. Rosa, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Header photo by Noah on Unsplash
Get more stories like this by subscribing to our weekly newsletter here.
Read more:
We need to talk about the proper way of washing reusable masks
When water and soap are unavailable, use hand sanitizers–here’s the proper way