In New York, a new mail-order prescription service is launching with a sustainable twist: in-home reusable pill bottles and bioplastic pouches for shipping.
Cabinet Health tells Fast Company the model’s main goal is to reduce the pharmaceutical industry’s plastics waste. Nearly 200 billion plastic pill bottles are produced each year for pill bottles alone.
According to company founder and CEO Achal Patel, mail-order drug delivery in America grew 35% between 2016 and 2021. The number is expected to grow 18.7% annually through 2030, he added.
To date, Cabinet Health has developed suitable compostable pouches for 150 prescription drugs, covering 80% of the most-prescribed oral drugs. It has already been selling cellulose-based pouches for over the counter medications, both for mail-order and pharmacy use.
“We look at the plastic waste problem, not just as an ecological or environmental issue, but fundamentally a health care issue,” says Russell Gong, Co-founder and President. “[Our customers] don’t have to make a choice between the health of themselves or their loved ones, and the environment.”
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Category: Chemicals & Materials
