Giant inhaler marks launch of first UK-wide inhaler recycling scheme

GSK Complete the Cycle Scheme could help to prevent the release of up to the equivalent of 512,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the environment per year.¹

11th February 2013

A giant inhaler is being unveiled at Victoria Station, London for one day only to mark the launch of the first ever UK-wide inhaler recycling and recovery scheme - Complete the Cycle - for all inhalers typically used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Complete the Cycle, from UK-based pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), enables people to play their part in dramatically reducing the impact on the environment caused by the landfill disposal of inhalers. 

73 million inhalers are used in the UK every year¹ and over 63% are placed in domestic bins after use[ii]. While most local authorities can recycle certain plastics, some inhaler components contain plastics which are not readily recycled in council schemes. Consequently most respiratory inhalers are disposed of in landfill, which is harmful to the environment - not just in material waste but also in greenhouse gas emissions should the gas canisters become pierced or crushed and the propellant released. If every inhaler-user in the UK returned all their inhalers for one year, this would save 512,330 tonnes of CO2eq - this saving would allow a VW 1.4TSI Golf car to be driven around the world 88,606 times.¹

Complete the Cycle is now available in over 1,300 pharmacies within three miles of almost 75% of the UK population¹. This innovative service supported by Recycle Now - part of WRAP (Waste & Resource Action Programme), the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and National Pharmacy Association, runs in partnership with pharmacies across the UK,* and allows for inhalers to be safely and responsibly recycled by simply returning them to a participating pharmacy when picking up a repeat prescription. Participating pharmacies can be found by visiting http://www.gsk.com/uk/consumers/complete-the-cycle.html.

"We’ve been pleased to add our support to this new initiative from GSK which will help people recycled their discarded inhalers,” said Laura Underwood from Recycle Now.

“We welcome schemes like this that enable more people to recycle more things, and we’re adding the details of the initiative to our www.recyclenow.com website to help make them available to as wide an audience as possible.”

Dr Mark Starr from the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare said, “This first of its kind scheme is an easy and convenient way for people to breathe new life into their old inhalers. It is beneficial both to the environment and to people with long-term respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The scheme is also an innovative move towards a more environmentally sustainable approach to treating respiratory disease.”

As well as preventing carbon dioxide emissions, the scheme can help people to get the best out of their medicines. A GSK pilot scheme showed that 29% of inhalers returned were not empty,¹ providing opportunities for pharmacists to help patients improve how they use their inhaler, manage their condition and help reduce medicine wastage. Currently 66% of respiratory patients visit their pharmacy at least every two months with repeat prescriptions². The scheme will help encourage patients to interact with their healthcare professional beyond their once or twice-yearly review consultation – which could help to improve the management of their condition.

Participating pharmacies will have a box behind their counter where inhalers can be deposited. Through the Complete the Cycle Scheme most of the inhaler materials are recycled - any waste which cannot be recycled, can be ‘recovered’ (converted into electricity or heat using the ‘waste to energy’ process whereby energy is created through the incineration of waste). Through this scheme, GSK will recycle or recover every respiratory inhaler collected by participating pharmacies, including those manufactured by other companies.

GSK is the first company in the world to set up inhaler recycling schemes in a number of countries.  This initiative is only one part of GSK’s long-term commitment to be carbon neutral across our whole value chain – from raw material purchase to product use and disposal – by 2050.  By working together with patients, pharmacies and healthcare professionals, GSK aims to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions, moving towards a more environmentally sustainable treatment of respiratory disease.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

About Complete the Cycle

The first of its kind in Europe, the scheme aims to reduce the harmful environmental impact associated with the landfill disposal of respiratory inhalers commonly used to treat conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (or COPD). Complete the Cycle is run by GSK, which is the first company in the world to offer a scheme like this with the support of pharmacies.

GSK is working with a number of pharmacies to implement Complete the Cycle, including Asda , Boots, The Co-operative Pharmacy, Day -Lewis , Lloyds , Superdrug , Tesco plus a number of  regional chains and Independents and is continuing to roll out the scheme amongst other pharmacies. For the latest list of participating pharmacies, please visit: www.completethecycle.eu.

Complete the Cycle is supported by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Recycle Now, part of WRAP (Waste & Resource Action Programme) which is a free, on-line resource that helps individuals, community groups and schools discover the what/where/when/how and why of recycling. www.recyclenow.com  www.wrap.org.uk

About GSK

One of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, GSK is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. As a leader in the research and development of respiratory medicines, GSK recognises that respiratory inhalers and their disposal in landfill can be harmful to the environment. We believe that it is possible to deliver sustainable business growth while protecting the resources we need for the future and safeguarding the environment. This initiative is only one part of GSK’s long-term commitment to be carbon neutral across our whole value chain – from raw material purchase to product use and disposal – by 2050.

For further information please visit www.gsk.com/responsibility/downloads/GSK-CR-2011-Report.pdf#our-planet

For further information, please contact:

Philippa Manning           GlaxoSmithKline            020 8990 2982   philippa.x.manning@gsk.com

Melanie Strutt                Red Health                    020 7025 6519   melanie.strutt@redconsultancy.com

 

References:

1 GSK Data on File. UK Inhaler recycling & environmental claims July 2012

2 Kantar Health patient attitudes to inhaler recycling 2012