About Parcel Health®

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Our Founding Story

Our story begins on two different sides of the world, brought together by a shared vision for a healthier planet and a more sustainable future.

Melinda’s Journey

Born and raised in Malaysia, Melinda witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of plastic waste on her homeland's beautiful landscapes. This early exposure to environmental issues would later shape her life's mission.

Driven by a desire to make a difference, Melinda pursued her undergraduate degree in pharmacology at Stony Brook University. After graduation, she accepted a research assistant position at Harvard University, where she worked alongside leading scientists studying neuronal development. The work was rigorous and challenging, but lacked the public health and translational pharmacology that she craved.

In 2017, Melinda was accepted into the doctoral pharmacy program at University of Michigan. Here, she was confronted with the daily conflict that patient care produced: millions of pounds of plastic waste generated by plastic pill bottles that are burned in incinerators or dumped into landfills in developing countries like Malaysia. It was painful that local patient care would create global plastic pollution, and she felt a growing urgency to address this.

Drawing on her experience in retail pharmacy and passion for environmental sustainability, she set out to create a safe and sustainable alternative to plastic amber vials. For Melinda, solving this problem has been personal: it is as important to provide healthcare while defending vulnerable communities worldwide from the detrimental effects of plastic pollution.

Mallory’s Journey

Meanwhile, Mallory Barrett, a student at North Carolina State University, was on her own path to reshape packaging and plastic waste. Winning the prestigious “Cradle to Cradle Product Design Challenge” competition in 2017, Mallory created a new, reusable approach to pharmaceutical packaging which she had named, Rex. Through the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute's series of circular design challenges, the global design community is invited to envision innovative solutions for everyday products with a focus on the product lifecycle, from raw materials to disposal. A total of 162 designers from 19 countries took part in the fourth Product Design Challenge, of which Mallory was recognized for winning Best Student Project.

Mallory graduated with the promise of a future full of problem-solving possibility, filling her ambitions. She began her career with a specialized paper packaging company where she learned foundational lessons in manufacturing processes. Material sourcing and the role paper packaging fascinated her, particularly in a packaging landscape that is driven by plastic innovations. As she learned more about the industry, she quickly became disillusioned by its stagnation. Surrounded by a lack of creativity and unwillingness to evolve, Mallory felt dissatisfied. She began searching for a challenge that would allow her to push the boundaries of what sustainable packaging could be.

Working Together

In late October 2019, Mallory received a LinkedIn message from a stranger that would change everything.

It was from Melinda, who was looking for someone who shared the same passion and whose ingenuity, creativity and integrity that could tackle the plastic pill bottle crisis. The timing was perfect. Mallory immediately saw the opportunity as her chance to help reimagine packaging.  

Through many trials and tribulations (including a pandemic!), the two industrious women laid the ground work for Parcel Health. Their mission clear: fill medicine cabinets with parcels, not plastics.

Parcel Health, today

Parcel Health has earned widespread acclaim for redefining pharmaceutical packaging, winning multiple awards and accolades since its inception, including one from the U.S Department of Commerce.  

Our journey began with Phill Box®, the first 100% compostable, paper-based medication container that quickly gained attention for its environmental benefits and sleek design. Pharmacies embraced its potential and we went on to develop the groundbreaking Tully Tube™, the world’s first and only paper pill bottle that is child-resistant, water-resistant, and insulating. Combined with our proprietary Parcel Coat™ technology, the Tully Tube keeps internal temperatures stable, water-resistant, and ensures safety.

Co-founders Melinda Lee and Mallory Barrett continue to lead a new era of healthcare packaging that protects patients and preserves the planet. For the first time, patient care and environmental responsibility can be synonymous, and Parcel Health is taking this movement global.

Based in Pittsburgh, PA, the Parcel Health team is just getting started.

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