Pharmacy Daily | CW’s blister pack venture

CHEMIST Warehouse, Pharmacycle, and Kenvue have launched their largest blister pack recycling program nationwide in time for National Recycling Week, beginning yesterday.

Following a successful trial late last year at 100 Chemist Warehouse locations in Victoria, the initiative has expanded to all Chemist Warehouse and My Chemist stores nationwide.

Customers can now recycle empty blister packs in Codral-branded Pharmacycle bins located near the dispensary.

The goal is to divert blister packs from landfill by collecting them in-store for recycling.

So far, over 4.4 million blister packs, or 6,620kg of waste, has been collected and repurposed into decking and fencing materials.

"With our shared mission of recycling blister packs across Australia, we are thrilled to work with Pharmacycle and Kenvue," said Mario Tascone, Director at Chemist Warehouse.

"We are committed to offering customers simple and efficient recycling solutions that promote sustainability," Tascone added.

Founded in 2022, Pharmacycle is an end-to-end blister pack recycling program, handling all collection, logistics, and processing domestically, supporting a circular economy and Australian jobs.

Once collected, blister packs are processed by specialised machinery to separate aluminium and plastic.

The aluminium is sent to Weston Aluminium in NSW to create de-oxidant for steelmaking, while the plastic is transported to Think Fencing in Victoria for PVC decking and fencing.

Jason Rijnbeek, Business Development Manager at Pharmacycle said, "by keeping processing local, we're supporting Australian jobs and contributing to a more sustainable economy".

Kenvue's Australia and New Zealand Managing Director, Nadia Stone, said its focus on sustainable practices, and partnerships like this, "amplify our impact, and we are excited to help Australians make a positive environmental impact". JG