Cabinet Health disrupts healthcare with ‘sustainable pharmacy'
(KTAL/KMSS) — With nearly 5 billion prescriptions filled annually in the U.S., most plastic pill bottles end up in landfills due to limited recyclability, contributing to microplastic pollution linked to a host of health issues, such as cognitive decline and inflammation.
One company is advocating for sustainable alternatives to eliminate single-use plastics in the healthcare industry. Cabinet Health, which markets itself as a 'sustainable pharmacy' offering over-the-counter medications (excluding controlled substances) in reusable, stackable glass containers.
How microplastics affect human health
Co-founded by Chinese-American Russell Gong and Indian-American Achal Patel. Gong is a specialist in sustainable products and an active U.S. infantry soldier who worked on legislation regarding the first plastic bag taxes and on building the Cabinet.
'I think the first thing is ultimately this is about a health care issue, not just about a packaging issue, that the more that our health care products and the way that we treat patients, the more that it's better for the environment is inevitably better,' says Gong.
Patel is a third-generational pharmaceutical entrepreneur whose grandfather built one of the first sets of medicine factories in India. Together, they combined their knowledge of medicine and sustainability to create Cabinet Health.
Since co-founders Achal Patel and Gong's appearance on Shark Tank, their refillable system has been sold nationwide at Target and Amazon; however, Gong says, they are still working on closing the gap between healthcare and sustainability.
'It really makes it a health care issue, is that today there's so much plastic in our environment that we're starting to consume it. So, we consume upwards of a credit card's worth of microplastics every single week, which is crazy to me. And that plastic is showing up in our bloodstream and even our brains as more and more medical science shows that it's also creating a lot of health care issues,' says Cabinet Health Pharmacy co-founder Russell Gong.
The company is a Certified B Corporation and has developed the first reusable packaging system for over-the-counter medicines.
'If there's one thing that I would tell a general audience about sustainable healthcare, it's just to start paying attention to what is sustainable healthcare, start being curious about what is going into our bodies, the healthcare that we're receiving, and wanting and demanding more,' said Gong.
The Source: gifting sustainably, everything local
As of February 2025, Cabinet Health no longer offers its subscription, focusing instead on more impactful ways to reduce plastic in the healthcare industry.
He encourages individuals to pay attention to what they put into their bodies while demanding that healthcare leaders do the same.
'It's really incumbent upon us as health care leaders to help patients make that choice that doesn't have to make a compromise. And so, again, I think most of our focus and efforts should be about how we win the leadership battles that change the system so that patients, when they are taking care of their husbands and their children and their mothers, they don't have to choose,' says Gong.
Gong says they are 'following the plastic' and launched Powered by Cabinet. This business program encourages healthcare companies to develop sustainable products and services by leveraging their years of research, insights, and tools.
'We don't believe that there should be a choice between a patient's personal health and the choice for their environment and their loved ones. And that's really what we're looking to encourage, is that the science exists. It's just a matter of 'Are we innovative and creative enough to apply it?'' says Gong,
Where to dispose of prescription drugs locally?
Did you know you can donate used prescription bottles? Matthew 25 Ministries is an international humanitarian and disaster relief organization that collects empty pill bottles to send to developing countries where medical supplies are in short supply. They accept empty, clean prescription and over-the-counter pill bottles of varying sizes.
However, there is a downside to donating them because you need to ship the bottles to their drop-off location in Blue Ash, Ohio.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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