The Problem with Single-Use Vials, and What We Can Do About It

Every year, over 500 million plastic prescription vials are thrown out across North America. Most of them end up in landfills, oceans, or incinerators; rarely recycled, often forgotten, and almost always single-use.

In healthcare, sustainability is often treated as an afterthought. But that’s beginning to change.

At VialCycle, we believe there’s a smarter, more sustainable way to dispense medications — one that protects both people and the planet.

💊 How Did We Get Here?

Prescription vials — those orange or white plastic bottles you pick up at the pharmacy, are everywhere. They’re durable enough to carry your medication, but often too small and complex to recycle effectively. Many municipalities don’t accept them in regular blue bins. And even when they do, the labels and sticky residue if the labels are removed often make them excluded from reycling.

Multiply that by millions of prescriptions a day, and you’ve got a massive, hidden waste stream.

🌍 Why It Matters

Healthcare is one of the largest contributors to plastic pollution. In fact, it accounts for nearly 5% of Canada’s total carbon emissions (That’s like putting every car in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary on the road at once!) and plastic waste is a big part of that footprint.

What’s worse? These small vials can don’t degrade, but instead break down into microplastics, entering our water, food, and ecosystems. Plastic pollution is no longer just an environmental issue, it’s a health issue too.

♻️ Introducing the VialCycle Solution

That’s why we created VialCycle: a reusable, refillable glass bottle system designed to work with pharmacies, not against them.

✅ Durable pharmaceutical grade glass bottles made for long-term use
✅ Designed to fit standard pharmacy labels and workflow
✅ Easy for patients to clean and reuse
✅ A simple way to eliminate single-use waste without compromising care

🙌 How You Can Help

Whether you’re a pharmacist, a patient, or just someone who wants to reduce waste, you can take action:

Ask your local pharmacy if they offer a refillable vial/bottle option
Encourage pharmacies to participate in reuse programs like VialCycle
Share this post and help spread the word

💚 It Starts Small, One Vial at a Time

We’re not here to overhaul the entire system overnight. We’re here to build better habits, better partnerships, and better tools for a healthier planet.

Ready to join us?

👉 Follow VialCycle on Instagram @VialCycle
👉 Share this blog post during #PlasticFreeJuly
👉 Tag your pharmacy and ask if they’d consider switching to reusable vials