As one of the original attendees of the 1st Earth Day and a third generation ecologist, the concept of ‘going green’ is not new, it is a lifestyle. Many of us have waited a long time for the rest of the country to wake up to the necessity of caring for the only planet and home that we have. Astronauts look at our world from space and marvel at its beauty; astounded at the thin layer of atmosphere that protects us from destruction. Native Americans have encouraged their philosophy of living with nature, not against it. Our country and our corporate structures are the largest contributors of waste in the world. All this is finally changing. It simply has to.
Making your home and your life ecologically friendly takes a mind set to make some changes in the daily habits; and pharmacies can help in a great way.
Pill Return Program:
Making sure you have a standard recycling program for paper, plastic and glass is a start. Research shows that 89 percent of consumers throw their unused pharmaceuticals in the trash or down the toilet. Since this has been in the news lately, your pharmacy can join a pill return program.
Dumping medications harms waterways and eventually could harm people if we drink the water.
As a judge in the local school district Science Fair, I had the honor of previewing one of the student’s 2 year studies on the percentage of estrogen that is in the water system. Her award winning study began long before the news announcement we are now familiar with, and the resulting information is being used as part of a longer term county study.
By joining a pill return program, your pharmacy is giving your patients another option. Medication received is sent away to companies that safely disposes of them. The medication is incinerated in an environmentally proper way and in most cases, the service is free.
There are some limitations, such as needles, inhalers, or controlled substances such as Vicodin that are not accepted. You must assist in educating your patients to remove personal information before they recycle anything.
Totally Green Power Source:
The Village Green Apothecary in Bethesda, MD is the first pharmacy to have all of its electricity supplied by wind power -- a clean, alternative energy that doesn't cause global warming. The sign on the front door tells customers about it as soon as they arrive, and little windmills throughout the store are whimsical reminders.
"Most people don't realize how easy it is to do something like this," said owner Marc Isaacson. Isaacson pays wind power association Native Energy a yearly fee to replace the traditional electricity the shop uses with wind power. The wind energy doesn't actually come into the shop but is replaced at the power supply, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide produced. Native Energy is run by a consortium of tribes from the Great Plains that uses the money to fund more wind farms throughout the country.
The Village Green Apothecary is a health and wellness center that offers a wide array of herbal supplements, organic products and books. Now that the shop is going green, it's encouraging its customers to do so as well. Pamphlets about buying wind energy are available in the essentials to healthy living section, and books on the environment are prominently displayed. Isaacson said he wants customers to realize they can make a difference.
Recycled Electronics:
Whether you have an old pc or a slightly abused cell phone, there are organizations in your community that will refurbish and reuse this equipment. Contact your local schools to find out if they have a program. Many refurbish and donate these items to families in need. Your county may have a program to reuse the valuable metals inside the computers or electronics.
Adopting An Area:
As a young girl our camping trips always started out by cleaning up the camp site before we settled in. My mother said “we must leave this area in a better condition, than when we arrived”. Many towns now offer local retailers the ability to adopt-a-highway or a section of a local park. This is an excellent opportunity for you to show your sense of community to your customers. The time required is minimal when it is divided between all of the staff. Many can use this as a family participation, demonstrating to the children the priority of keeping our earth clean.
Organic Products:
Organics are also not new, but are one of the top purchased items in the country.
I used to have to order these products on-line and pay a much higher price. Mass merchandising chains have realized that there is a great demand and have are stocking/selling at an amazing rate! Organic products do not pollute the environment nor do they contain the chemicals that contribute to illness. Offering your customers the choice of organic fair trade coffee and food items will bring new customers to your pharmacy and impress upon existing customers your commitment to their health.
Environmentally Friendly Products:
Environmentally friendly soaps and washer detergents, diapers/baby items, and paper products will bring you more devoted customers. There are so many more choices and selections now available for you at reasonable prices. If your supplier doesn’t offer them find out why. If they don’t have an answer, find a supplier that will include them in your inventory selections. It won’t be long until that supplier begins to realize they need to make some changes.
Pharmacy Technologies:
Talk to the vendors that supply you with the various automations and technologies in your pharmacy as well as those that you are considering purchasing products from. Thankfully, it has become an appealing attraction for corporations to show that they are environmentally friendly in both the production of the products as well as their factories/locations. They know that people are making product choices based on how ‘green’ the company is. A quick phone call or e-mail to existing vendors might get a few recommendations for adjustments in your technology that could reduce electric use or use the technology in a more efficient manner.
Plastic or Paper = Neither:
The City of Seattle is considering a fee to be added to all purchases using plastic or paper bags. Part of the fee would go to the retailer, the rest to the city for the cost of recycling the waste. Although this is the most radical move in any city so far, they are also considering extending it into the restaurant business for using foam and non-recycled plastic containers. This may seem like a longer term scenario of acceptance for the shoppers in the U.S. as they slowly make the transition from plastic bags to reusable, environmentally friendly carriers. However, most of the large mass retailers have already begun following the path of the health stores by offering these bags at the front of the store at very inexpensive prices. This is a lifestyle change that people will be happy to adjust to, if they realize they will be charged extra for items that are not ‘earth friendly’.
Conscious Purchasing Choices:
Many consumers are examining the packaging of the items they are seeking to buy: The face moisturizer that is packed in 2-3 different plastic containers so that it will look appealing – is no longer popular. Vegetables prepackaged in foam and plastic wrap is passé. Foam packing peanuts are being replaced by recycled paper with further r&d into alternatives.
Your pharmacy can make the same environmentally friendly choices in the products that you offer to your customers. From how your supplier ships the products to what you put on your shelves, every effort makes a difference.
Karen Sulprizio
Email Me or Call Me: 1-866-312-8324
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