The Plastic Pollution Problem – Part 2

Canada recycles just 9 per cent of its plastics with the rest dumped in landfills and incinerators or tossed away as litter.

Polypropylene—the plastic used for prescription vials—continues to have an extremely low recycling rate, hovering around 1%, due to the challenges of sorting and processing it for reuse

Recent studies have further highlighted the pervasive nature of microplastics:

• Antarctic Snow Contamination: Microplastics have been detected in Antarctic snow, indicating the extensive reach of plastic pollution.
• Microplastics in Human Placentas: A study analyzing 62 placental tissue samples found microplastics in every sample, with polyethylene being the most common type detected.
• Microplastics in Human Blood: Research has revealed the presence of microplastics in human blood samples, raising concerns about potential health implications.

These findings underscore the far-reaching implications of plastic use on both environmental and human health.

The Use of Plastic in Pharmacy Practice

In 2023, over 900 million prescriptions were filled in Canada (IQVIA). Since oral tablets continue to dominate, that likely translates to hundreds of millions of plastic vials used in just one year.

A 2014 CPhA survey showed that most community pharmacies dispense between 101–200 prescriptions per day. If even 60% of those are tablets requiring a vial, a single pharmacy could use over 20,000 vials annually. Multiplied by Canada’s 10,000+ pharmacies, that adds up to 200+ million vials—every year.

As prescription volumes rise, the unsustainable use of single-use plastic vials in pharmacy becomes impossible to ignore.

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It’s Time to Rethink the Vial: Join the VialCycle Movement

Plastic vials are not the solution. VialCycle is a pharmacy sustainability initiative dedicated to reducing waste by enabling the return, sanitization, and reuse of prescription vials. We believe that everyday healthcare practices—like picking up your medication—shouldn’t come at the cost of the planet.

💊 Are you a pharmacy owner, healthcare provider, or concerned citizen?
🌎 Want to help reduce plastic waste in your community?

Join the VialCycle movement today.
Visit vialcycle.ca to learn how you can get involved, become a participating pharmacy, or support the cause.