[Pharmwaste] RE: Can I recycle my medication bottles?

[Zimmer, Catherine (PSC)]

Hi Christine,
Thank you for bringing up the issue of plastic recycling-it really isn't the best method to reduce environmental impact.  According to my pharmacy, I can get refills using the same bottle.  Which is what I try to do.  Recycling the bottle presents a whole host of environmental issues, everything from more resource consumption, to pharmaceutical residues in water at facilities that are often exempt from regulation because they "recycle" and the loop is not closed-pill bottles aren't made back into pill bottles.

I would suggest people ask their pharmacy if they can reuse the bottle.


Very truly yours,

Catherine Zimmer, MS, BSMT
Industry Leader, Environmental and Regulatory
PSC Healthcare Services
Office:  651.645.7509
Mobile: 713.829.6365
www.pscnow.com<http://www.pscnow.com/>
Catherine.zimmer at pscnow.com<mailto:Catherine.zimmer at pscnow.com>

Live green now!
Reduce, reuse, repair, recycle.


From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us [mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Miller, Christine M.
Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2012 9:34 AM
To: Lucy, Burke; pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: [Pharmwaste] RE: Can I recycle my medication bottles?

Unfortunately this article leads people to believe the markets for #5 plastic is good.  We do not use a trammel screen in our MRF, so the size of the bottle isn't as much of an issue, as the marketability of the #5 plastics in Wisconsin.

Christine Miller
Outagamie County Recycling Coordinator
920-968-5721
www.RecycleMoreOutagamie.org<www.mibank.com>

[cid:image001.jpg at 01CD804E.14F66970]


From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us [mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Lucy, Burke
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2012 11:57 AM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: [Pharmwaste] Can I recycle my medication bottles?

http://news.consumerreports.org/health/2012/08/can-i-recycle-my-medication-bottles.html
"Small bottles have a nasty habit of looking like broken glass and scraps to a trommel," Cornell says. "For this reason, recycling pill vials in a curbside program shouldn't be done unless you can find out if your system can handle the small size."

Burke


Mr. Burke Lucy
Integrated Waste Management Specialist
Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)
1001 I Street, PO Box 4025
Sacramento, CA 95812
Burke.Lucy at CalRecycle.ca.gov<mailto:Burke.Lucy at CalRecycle.ca.gov>
916.341.6592

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