No Plastic Challenge Fail

[kittymel]

Unavoidable Plastic Strikes Again -

Picking up a Rx. = 1 plastic bottle + 1 Plastic Bag

Anyone know of a pharmacy that lets you bring in the old bottle to refill and just slaps a new label on it?

How in the world did we go from a country that reused everything after the depression to one that just created more and more waste?

Comments

reuse of medication bottles

[violet_kanji]

Many medications leave a dusty residue and some of these residues will infiltrate the plastic. Since even the remote chance of mixing medications may result in harm to the patient and law suits for the pharmacy, they take no chances. In principle, I agree that the same meds should be able to go into the same bottle, but in practice they have no idea what you have done with that bottle out of their sight. On the other hand you could refuse to accept the plastic bag.

America the litigious!

[scottopic]

Remember the scene in The Graduate?
"Plastics, son."
It's cheaper!

California just passed an anti-single use bag law.
So...the rest of us will change will come in ten years :P

[miladyelizabeth]

I assume it's related to risks of chemical cross-contamination.

On the plastic thing in general, am I missing something? Why not just recycle it?

[kittymel]

Recycling is great - but I am trying my damnest this week and next week not to bring any plastic into the house.

[tripartite]

Like most changes, it occurred very slowly. I suspect it did it as older recyclers died off and younger people realized it was cheaper and more convenient to use new instead of reuse.

[cartooncheryl]

How did become a nation that no longer reuses? World War II.

Everyone had a job, many with the War effort, but nothing was being produced but bombs; you couldn't buy a lot of stuff with your paycheck because of rationing. Metal was scarce, nylons, etc. When the war ended, the busy factories went to making consumer goods, people had lots of money, everyone was extremely happy because the war was over..... and they were sick of rationing and reusing. It was the first time in their lives they didn't have to anymore, and so they stopped! Or they saw their parents doing that, and didn't want to be like them.