Pharmacists

Absolutely! The recycled plastic benefits other manufacturers who utilize and produce an endless array of items. We hope that our products have a prolonged life cycle and be transformed as many times as possible into other products.

As one of the only pharmaceutical containers suppliers, EcoloPharm wishes to go much farther and minimize one of the major problems facing today’s recycling industry: the low quality of recycled materials.

Transition is simple and easy! We have several tools that facilitate a smooth transfer and encourage you to engage patients! Videos, leaflets, video conferencing, press line, etc.

The only valid option today is plastic, regardless of the pharmaceutical containers suppliers and of the pharmacies.

Thanks to our eco-friendly design, we are happy to offer the most eco-friendly vial on the market: Requiring the least amount of plastic and generating the least amount of CO2.

Our vials are also fully recyclable

The short answer is no. It is necessary to unravel certain myths or preconceived ideas about these three concepts and the confusion they bring. Although they may seem similar, the three terms actually refer to three very distinct concepts:

From the outset, it must be emphasized that there is still no fixed definition of what a bioplastic is. However, this term refers to materials of two types:

1. Plastics made of biobased material are derived from biomass and renewable resources such as plants. The interest raised by biosourced plastics refers precisely to the renewable nature of the supply of raw materials. This is the upstream of the product life cycle and it aims to reduce pollution at the source.
2. Plastics made of biodegradable materials which under ideal conditions are compostable. Biodegradation means degradation achieved through the action of living organisms such as bacteria or fungi. This refers to the end of life of plastic and it aims to reduce the pollution generated by the product once it is no longer useful.
   Some bioplastics have both characteristics: they are both biobased and biodegradable.
3. Not all bioplastics are biodegradable. Think of products that must last for a long period of time, such as water pipes or some interior parts of cars. There are also biodegradable plastics that come from fossil resources and have a petrochemical transformation.

In contrast, biodegradable bioplastics are typically used for disposable items (e.g., catering products such as dishes and straws).

However biodegradable bioplastics pose some major problems. They are not recyclable with "traditional" plastics and when they end up in your recycling bin and become contaminants!

In addition, biodegradation can be extremely slow if optimal conditions are not met. Our current facilities in Canada rarely meet the necessary conditions for full biodegradation and more often than not it is not achieved. Subsequently, the accumulation of harmful substances persisting in the environment contaminate our soil, water, and air and pose a significant risk.

These are the main reasons that prevent companies from using biodegradable plastics: the contamination of recyclable plastics and little chance of biodegradation.

We work closely with different vendors to keep abreast of industry innovations and evaluate various options available.

These concepts are important to us and we are working with partners to develop comprehensive programs.

Imagine how great it would be if everyone could bring back their medication vials to their pharmacy and avoid placing them in curbside recycling altogether?

In Canada, curbside recycling makes life easier for citizens by allowing them to throw various recyclables into one single bin. By the same token, there are many kinds of materials such as plastics that are found in recycling bins (e.g., HDPE from shampoo bottles, PET from soft drink bottles or PP from an Ecolo Vial).

Once at the recycler, things get complicated. The diversity of mixed plastics creates a sorting problem and complicates the recycling process.

More often than not, the recycling center is not able to separate different types of plastics from each other and many remain mixed. The result is a plastic bundle of several types of plastic with different chemical compositions and cannot be used for the same products. This has the effect of reducing the quality of the recycled plastic bundle and lowering its resale value.

We would like to bypass the selective collection and eliminate the various contaminants (plastic or other). For example, recycling centers that receive our vials directly would obtain a contaminant-free material that is easily recyclable and has an attractive resale price. Then companies that buy the plastic bundles would, in turn, get premium and unadulterated materials that can be easily recycled.

We are working hard on making this project a possibility!

Ecodesign is the consideration and integration of all the environmental criteria necessary for the design of a product.

From the ideation phase of our products, and throughout their life cycle, we make sure we have the lowest environmental impact possible. From raw material extraction, product manufacturing and end-of-life, to distribution, use and recycling.

Do you want to know more? Check out our eco-design page

Like all our products, our eco-friendly medication vials are available at your wholesaler