The Osceola Council on Aging (OCOA) is thrilled to announce a new collaboration with the Osceola County Office of Sustainability.
This partnership will help expand both the County and OCOA’s commitment to reducing plastic waste, and simultaneously help create a more sustainable future for our community.
According to global data platform Statista, plastic waste and microplastic pollution are among the largest issues facing our planet. Plastic debris is found everywhere from oceans to mountains, cities, and rural areas, harming wildlife, polluting ecosystems, while negatively affecting human health and plant life.
According to a study published in the International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, each year over two billion prescription bottles are discarded in the United States alone. That study also reflects an estimated 90% of those bottles, typically made from non-recyclable plastics, end up in landfills, further contributing to air, water, and soil pollution.
The Osceola Board of County Commissioners has created a new county-wide initiative which calls on the community and partnering organizations to recycle prescription pill bottles; an immensely positive step forward in helping decrease plastic waste within the Osceola community.
“We are leading innovation in local sustainability. This project has spurred regional interest with neighboring government agencies requesting information on our Prescription Pill Bottle Recycling Program,” said Paul J. Conover, a Project Manager, Osceola County Office of Sustainability.
Sadly, recycling of prescription pill bottles is often overlooked due to their size; even when recycled, bottles are so small they slip through the cracks of traditional recycling systems, and as mentioned earlier, end up in landfills.
Through this new program, the County is not only gathering used pill bottles, but also repurposing them for a myriad of projects. One of those projects is with the Osceola County Animal Services who will utilize the small containers to dispense pet medication.
To support our efforts, and recycle those no longer needed prescription or nonprescription bottles, please: Remove labels, leaving no glue or residue; wash bottles and lids in hot water and dish soap; rinse and dry thoroughly; replace lids on clean, dried bottles; and deposit clean, recapped bottles in designated bins.
For senior clients coming to the Council on Aging for services or appointments, or those who just want to quickly visit and support this recycling program, please drop bottles off in the lobby of the OCOA campus, 700 Generation Point, in Kissimmee, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Additional recycle locations include the West Osceola Branch Library: (305 Campus St., Celebration); the Osceola County Administration Building First Floor Conference Room Lobby; Osceola County Animal Services Main Lobby (3910 Old Canoe Creek Road, St. Cloud) and St. Cloud City Hall.
“Since the program’s inception, we have been able to divert over 550 pill bottles equating to approximating 55-pounds of plastic, from the landfill,” Conover said.
This simple effort will help support keeping plastic trash and debris from landfills while conserving energy, reducing pollution, and lowering the demand for raw materials.
This is just one more partnership within the Osceola County community that we are grateful to have. Please help the OCOA, Osceola County, and other partnering locations make a positive impact on the environment, and let us work together for a greener, cleaner, healthier, Osceola County!
For more information on this recycling program, go to the program’s dedicated page at www.Osceola.org, or call 407-742-2275.
