LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Brenda Weems is declaring a personal environmental victory after contacting channel 13 for help with a consumer concern.
"So, we get things like eye drops and vitamins. And I just ordered calcium and things like that--over-the-counter products."
Through their health insurance company, Humana, and its subsidiary CenterWell, Henderson resident Brenda Weems and her husband often have items shipped to their home.
But earlier this year, they noticed a change.
"My husband ordered two pairs of anti-slip ankle socks that came in a box big enough to ship a toaster! I received eye drops in the same size box.—a tiny little bottle!"
After several shipments in over-sized boxes, Brenda decided to take action.
"I wanted it to be brought to someone's attention that could hopefully do something."
Her goal? To see CenterWell become a better corporate citizen.
"I would love for the next items that I order from this pharmacy to all come in the little envelopes," she said, referring to the small plastic envelopes her prescriptions come in.
Brenda's concern extended beyond wasteful packaging to road wear and tear and additional pollution from delivery trucks.
"As soon as I realized the severity of the problem, I told my husband, I said, 'I'm going to reach out to Darcy at Channel 13 because she's always in there, you know, the investigative reporter pulling for all of us people out here'."
When 13 Investigates reached out to Humana, they provided a statement about their commitment to sustainability including reducing packaging materials and more efficient shipping.
But actions speak louder than words, and to their credit, the company did act.
Our report about wasteful packaging aired Oct. 4 and just two days later, Brenda sent a text to 13 Investigates, writing "Today, for the first time ever, I received my calcium from CenterWell pharmacy in a plastic bag! You're not going to believe this, as I was texting you I got a call from CenterWell pharmacy wanting to discuss the packaging with me! She gave me her direct line and said to let her know if I received any further large boxes!!! Please tell Darcy! Woo hoo! I believe we actually made a difference!! I'm so happy!"
We're happy that Brenda reached out for our help and that together, we got the result she was looking for.
We contacted Humana again for an on-camera interview to talk about the packaging change.
We are still waiting for a response.
