Every day, large bottles of toiletries like shampoo, sunscreen and hair gel end up in the trash at airport security checkpoints because some passengers are unaware of the TSA’s 3-1-1 rule. One airport in Washington DC is now giving these items to people who need them.

Since the spring, Reagan National Airport has been collecting and donating unopened and gently used toiletries as part of a pilot program called Donate, Don’t Throw Away.

“We started in April and have already collected 2,300 items. We have diverted 1,160 pounds of waste from landfills … and that doesn’t even include what we count in August,” said Courtnie Gore, social impact specialist at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

Once a month, airport authorities employees sort all toiletries.

News4 got a glimpse of the sorting process on Tuesday and saw employees sorting dozens of bottles, many of them brand new, in a warehouse just steps from the DCA’s front gate.

“When you lose something, you feel a little frustrated, but you need to know that it’s going to someone who really cares,” Gore said.

In total, more than 600 items have been left behind at the TSA checkpoint since early August, sorted for organizations like Northwest Community Food, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that supports individuals and families with fresh produce and hygiene items.

“It’s exciting and fun for staff and volunteers and they’re proud to be able to offer these products because the toiletries we had before were often from the dollar store and therefore of lower quality and quantity. So it’s wonderful to be able to offer these branded products and full-size products. These are all brands that people really love and are excited about,” said Kristina Filipovich of Northwest Community Food.

The airport authority said it plans to expand the program to Dulles International Airport.