Blister pack recycling scheme launches across UK pharmacy network

MYGroup has been appointed as the licensed waste management partner for CircuBack, a new blister pack take-back scheme designed to enable patients to recycle used pharmaceutical blister packs through participating pharmacies and dispensing outlets.

The initiative has been developed by the Circularity in Primary Pharmaceutical Packaging Accelerator (CiPPPA) and is managed by TDi Sustainability.

Collection of used blister packs will be coordinated by Cencora Alliance Healthcare (CAH), which will retrieve filled recycling bins from participating pharmacies and dispensing locations during its existing delivery routes. CAH supplies products to more than 17,000 pharmacies, hospitals, GP surgeries and healthcare centres across the UK.

MYGroup will process the collected blister packs at its specialist recycling facility in Hull, East Yorkshire. Using a dedicated separation line, the company recovers both the plastic and aluminium components for reuse.

According to the company, recovered materials are returned to supply chains where possible or repurposed by its ReFactory™ division into new materials and products, including MYboard™, a wood-alternative material manufactured from recycled plastic.

The CircuBack scheme accepts all brands and types of empty blister packs, with no purchase required to participate. While packs should be returned empty, any remaining medicines or vitamins will be separated and processed in accordance with relevant waste regulations.

The launch expands MYGroup's existing blister pack recycling operations, which already include collection schemes with Boots in more than 800 UK stores, Tesco in partnership with Kenvue, as well as programmes serving GP surgeries and veterinary practices.

Reach is what determines whether a take-back scheme works. Our nationwide retail partnerships have proven the public appetite for recycling blister packs, so we’re pleased to extend our service into the pharmacy and dispensing landscape at scale, benefiting from already established logistics. As the leading UK recycler in this space, having recycled millions of packs to date, we’re proud to continue building a reality – nationwide – where no blister pack has to end up in landfill or incineration.

Steve Carrie, Group Director, MYGroup.

Blister packs remain one of the most widely used formats for pharmaceutical packaging, accounting for around 85% of solid-dose medicines in Europe. However, their combination of plastic and aluminium makes them difficult to recycle through standard household collections, meaning many are disposed of through landfill or energy recovery.

Globally, an estimated 36 million tonnes of blister packs are produced each year. Within the UK, the NHS is estimated to use more than 150 million blister packs annually, highlighting the scale of pharmaceutical packaging entering the waste stream.