Since Blooms The Chemist rolled out in-store blister pack collection boxes across its entire pharmacy network in November 2022, over 15,000 kgs of aluminium and plastic have been recovered from recycled blister packs.

Blooms The Chemist was the first national pharmacy company in Australia to launch this initiative across its network of more than 115 stores with the support of sponsors, Gaviscon, Nurofen and Strepsils.

Blooms The Chemist Erina (NSW) has been a stand-out contributor across the country, recycling 624.21kgs of medicine packaging, closely followed by Blooms The Chemist Stud Park (VIC).

Blooms The Chemist Forestville (NSW), Blooms The Chemist Springwood (NSW) and Blooms The Chemist Castle Plaza (SA) were also amongst the top five network pharmacies that recovered a significant amount of recycled material.

Blooms The Chemist’s Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Pamela Bishop said: “Thanks to our collaboration with Pharmacycle and the passion of our network pharmacies, we have been able to reach this remarkable milestone, and reduce our environmental impact while helping our customers do the same.

“We are incredibly proud as a network of community-minded pharmacies to be a leader in the industry in tackling environmental issues such as recycling medicine packaging.”

Pharmacycle’s Account Manager for Blooms The Chemist, Ursi Kernan, said: “With plastic packaging comprising a shocking 81.1 percent of Australia’s litter, it is more critical than ever for companies and Australians to step up and change our habits to create a better future.

“This joint initiative with Blooms The Chemist is important to help achieve better outcomes for the planet by delivering end-to-end recycling solutions to our community.

“By teaming up with Pharmacycle, the local community can conveniently recycle their blister packs by dropping by their local Blooms The Chemist.” 

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In total, over 4,000 kgs of medicine packaging has been recycled since October 2022, when Blooms The Chemist rolled out in-store blister pack collection boxes across its entire network.

“Many Australians are unaware that blister packs, the packaging that pills and tablets come in, can’t be recycled through kerbside bins because they are made of various plastics and foils,” said Blooms The Chemist’s Environmental Impact Committee Lead, Kimberley Baldassarre.

“With the roll out of convenient, in-store collection boxes, combined with encouragement and education from our passionate Pharmacists, our customers have responded, and we have been overwhelmed by the uptake in recycling blister packs.”

Due to the success of the program, Blooms The Chemist and Pharmacycle have announced they will be continuing their partnership.

“It’s truly impressive what we have managed to achieve with the national support from Blooms The Chemist over the past year,” Pharmacycle’s Director, Afonso Firmo, said.

“For blister packs to be recycled, they first need to be collected in sufficient volume to warrant the use of specialised recycling technology, and we have certainly managed to collect this volume with the help of Blooms The Chemist. We are delighted that our partnership will continue.”

Blooms The Chemist is the only national pharmacy company in Australia to have launched this initiative across its entire network of more than 115 stores.

“We are proud to lead the way in what can be achieved for important environmental issues in the pharmacy industry. Our partnership with Pharmacycle allows us to reduce our waste to landfill and help our local communities to do the same. We look forward to maintaining the momentum as we head into year two of this vital work,” Ms Baldassarre said.

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Coinciding with National Recycling Week (7-13 November), customers can drop their used blister packs in co-branded receptacles at their nearest Blooms The Chemist pharmacy.

Receptacles will be available from 7 November 2022, across Blooms The Chemist’s entire network of more than 110 stores.

“More and more, our customers are telling us they want to be able to recycle common household medicinal waste,” says Pamela Bishop, Blooms The Chemist’s Chief Operating Officer.

Blooms The Chemist is the first pharmacy network to launch this initiative and Ms Bishops says they hope to “lead the pharmacy industry by example on environmental issues like recycling blister packs”

“[This] is why Blooms The Chemist is excited to be partnering with Pharmacycle to offer our local communities a complete recycling solution,” says Ms Bishop.

“It [also] ensures our stores can recycle blister pack waste generated from their dispensary service.

“This program helps Blooms The Chemist reduce our carbon footprint and supports our local communities to do the same.

“Blooms The Chemist is proud to be the first pharmacy brand in Australia to launch this initiative with Pharmacycle across our entire network, which allows for maximum program impact. We’re committed to contributing to a healthier planet and a healthier future for all Australians,” she says.

‘This is only the beginning’ 

With a future vision where all Australians can recycle common household medical and healthcare-related products and devices, Pharmacycle is the only full recycling solution for medical blister pack waste from start to finish, giving consumers peace of mind that their recycling efforts will not go to waste.

Pharmacycle has tapped into the demand for better recycling practices for pharmaceutical waste, and through partnerships like Blooms The Chemist, it can meet rising consumer expectations.

Jason Rijnbeek, Pharmacycle’s Business Development Manager, says this is only the beginning and that the company has ambitious growth plans.

“By the end of 2023, Pharmacycle will have at least five hundred drop-off locations right across Australia so every single person can recycle blister packs easily and conveniently,” he says.

Once collected, blister packs are transported to one of Pharmacycle’s local processing facilities, and through a series of mechanical recycling methods, the aluminium is separated from the plastic and later turned into a range of new products.

Transparency is something Pharmacycle prides itself on, ensuring that all materials collected are recycled in the truest sense – that it is not just collected, but also properly processed.

Pharmacycle’s Recycling Operations Manager, Nicholas Klapsogiannis, acknowledges pharmacies can lead by example on recycling medicinal blister packs, as sufficient volumes are required to warrant the use of specialised recycling technology.

“Blister packs are a real problem for households because they cannot be recycled in household recycling and often end up in that stream as contaminants. That’s why this new partnership with Blooms The Chemist is important because it provides the mechanism to achieve a better outcome for environmental impact,” he says.

“By activating drop-off locations right across Australia, we’re making it easy for the public to participate, and that’s important because our research indicates local communities are engaged and ready to get on board.”

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