Verde Environmental Technologies., Inc., maker of the Deterra® Drug Deactivation and Disposal System, received a 2021 SEAL Business Sustainability Award, which celebrate companies’ leadership, transparency and commitment to sustainable business practices. The Deterra Drug Deactivation and Disposal System — a medication disposal pouch or container that can safely destroy and dispose of unused and expired medications — was honored in the Sustainable Product category, which highlights innovative and impactful products that are literally “purpose-built” for a sustainable future. Key criteria for selection included impact metrics, innovation, and how the product inspires others to adopt more environmentally-conscious practices.
Fellow 2021 SEAL Award winners include Dow, IBM, PepsiCo, and Salesforce. “We are honored to be named a SEAL Award winner because product sustainability is a key pillar of our mission,” said Jason Sundby, chair and CEO of Verde. “Deterra not only prevents medication misuse, we also work to keep drugs out of waterways, landfills, and most importantly, our drinking water. Many people aren’t aware of how the medications they’re tossing can hurt the environment. 1 in 4 Americans still flushes leftover medications down the drain, down the sink, or throws them straight in the trash.”
Deterra uses organic activated carbon and tap water to render drugs inert and non-retrievable, and it is the only product available that is scientifically proven to fully deactivate and destroy prescription and over-the-counter medications, in various forms including pills, patches, liquids, creams and films. Deterra even works on fentanyl. To date, millions of Deterra Pouches have been used across all 50 states and internationally to deactivate and destroy nearly 800 million medications. Verde’s goal is to deactivate and dispose of 1 billion pills by 2023.