Microplastics are everywhere, but startup keeps it away from medication

Daheb is no stranger to the downsides of plastics. As an early investor to the sustainable water bottle company PATH Water, which makes sustainable water bottles, the San Mateo resident became acutely aware of the process by which plastic was often recycled — which left much to be desired.

Daheb frequented the local Recology center in San Carlos and noticed that recycling plastics was even more complicated and costly — and thus, less common — for prescription medicine bottles.

“Not only are these not highly recyclable, but even if they were, they are not actually collected for recycling. They have a 3% recycling rate,” he said. “It's such a chemical intensive process because of the color tinting.”

Pillumina, headquartered in downtown San Mateo with a warehouse in South San Francisco, launched its first aluminum medication prescription bottles last year and works with pharmacies not just on the Peninsula but statewide. Customers include mom-and-pop pharmacies, as well as large multinational retail chains.

“A lot of the large retail pharmacies have these commitments to sustainability. They publish these [Environmental, Social and Governance] reports, and they've already made these commitments to increase recycling and reduce plastic waste,” Daheb said.

Corporate ESG initiatives have undergone more scrutiny over the last several years, with critics questioning their effectiveness and some even doubting the merits of their overall mission, such as combating climate change. While Daheb and his team have been forced to contend with shifting attitudes, especially as they look to expand nationwide, states like California continue to pass new legislation and provide funds for such initiatives. Senate Bill 54, for instance, puts pressure on manufacturers to reduce plastic material by 10% by 2027 and make all material recyclable or compostable by 2032.

“New York sued Pepsi because of all the plastic in the Hudson River, California sued Exxon Mobile for not disposing of plastic properly … It will be interesting to see what the next four years look like but I don't think it will just go away,” he added.

Pillumina’s aluminum bottles with a BPA-free liner so the medication does not ever come in contact with the metal, something Daheb said is a frequent concern for prospective customers and users. The difference between using aluminum versus plastic is stark, he added.

At the San Carlos Recology, Daheb noticed that an electromagnetic current separates all metal material, which ends up on different palettes and then gets sold, melted down and reused. The same infrastructure and supply chain for plastics is just not there, he said.

“Seventy-five% of all aluminum ever made is still used today,” Daheb said. “There are seven different types of plastics, and some are more recyclable than others, but even the ones that are recyclable, at most it could get recycled three times, and it ends up in our landfills eventually, whereas aluminum could go through that process indefinitely.”

alyse@smdailyjournal.com

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