Four pharmacies in Brighton and Hove are taking part in a project to recycle inhalers.
The inhaler recycling project is the first of its kind in Europe.
The four chemists are all Co-operative Pharmacies. They are in
- Oxford Street, Brighton
- Nevill Road, Hove
- Warren Way, Woodingdean
Mile Oak Medical Centre, Portslade
The six-month pilot project was set up GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and the Co-op in partnership with TerraCycle UK.
The aim is to re-use or convert the inhaler parts and leftover medicine as about 35 million GSK inhalers and 25 million Ventolin packs are used in Britain alone every year.
These generate about 450 tonnes of waste which are currently destined for landfill or incineration.
Fiona Caplan Dean, clinical services manager at the Co-operative Pharmacy, said: “The potential for recycling these products and reducing wastage is huge.
“Pharmacists are ideally placed to help reduce the impact of inhalers on the environment.
“And as an organisation committed to responsible retailing as part of our ethical strategy, we are delighted to be at the forefront of this exciting initiative, which is simple yet effective.”
