Stopping the Veterinary Industry’s Contribution to the Plastic Pollution Problem, One Pill Vial At a Time
Reducing waste and preserving the environment has been a popular topic of advocacy across the world. From the slogan “reduce, reuse, recycle” becoming widely known and heeded, to countries enacting legal framework to better control greenhouse emissions; over the past 70 years steps have been taken to safeguard the planet we exist on. Still, there is so much more that can be done.
For decades, the veterinary industry has welcomed efforts, but has simultaneously struggled with being able to greatly contribute to the preservation of the planet; without sacrificing quality and patient care, or impacting balance sheets. One of the largest contributions to the plastic pollution problem we see today in the veterinary industry is pill bottles. In 2021, over 4 billion prescriptions were filled in the United States alone, producing enough average-sized pill bottles to circle the globe 15 times.
Many of these non-recyclable plastic pill vials end up in places we don’t want them to be, like the ocean. However, even if they do end up in a landfill, they can take up to 450 years to decompose. That’s not even factoring in greenhouse gasses, energy, and waste needed to produce and ship the final products.
Not many manufacturers in the veterinary industry are ready to bring on cost-efficient products that reduce harm to the environment, while also being able to maintain product integrity. KVP International has been one of the first to introduce a plant-based pill bottle that is equally efficient for use in clinics, and safe for the environment.
KVP BetterVials have all of the features that veterinarians depend on:
- a variety of colors
- multiple sizes of sturdy pill vials
- child safety lock
These pill vials have been scientifically proven to have little to no impact on surrounding growing plants while the bottle decomposes; regardless of being on land or in water. Additionally, the decomposition time when exposed to the recycling process is significantly shorter.
With limited amounts of greenhouse gases and low energy cost of production, these recyclable zero-waste BetterVials are the next step towards a significant environmental impact in the veterinary industry.