Territory Pharmacy Free Blister Pack Recycling Program Casuarina Village
The first-of-a-kind blister-pack recycling program will provide Northern Territorians, and remote communities with a unique opportunity to increase the rate of recycling.
The Northern Territory’s largest pharmacy group, Territory Pharmacy has launched the very first free, territory-wide blister packs recycling program, in partnership with innovative recycling company TerraCycle®.
The Territory Pharmacy Blister Pack Free Recycling Program will accept all brands of empty blister packs and empty medication packs with an initial pilot in 12 participating Territory Pharmacies, and 2 regional health clinics before expanding into other locations.
Across the Northern Territory, only 60% of the population has kerbside collection services, and the majority of regional and remote communities do not have access to any municipal waste collection. Not only is there limited access to municipal kerbside recycling compared to other states in Australia, but until now, Northern Territorians had limited choice but to send blister packs to landfills as they cannot be recycled through council kerbside recycling, due to the complex nature of their composition.
As part of this new collection program, 12 pharmacies and 2 regional health clinics across the Northern Territory will operate as drop-off points where Territorians can leave their empty blister and medication packs for recycling in collection boxes. The program will shortly be expanded to include 60 remote health clinics.
Territory Pharmacy’s CEO and registered pharmacist, Steven Kong said, “The launch of the program will signify a significant step in providing free recycling opportunities for hard-to-recycle waste in remote regions. For over 20 years, our group’s community pharmacies have been delivering pharmacy, health and wellbeing services to the Darwin, Katherine, and Alice Springs regions. The ability to offer a sustainable recycling solution for our community now is a great success.
“By establishing collection points at pharmacies and regional clinics across the Territory, this free program will transform recycling accessibility for communities that are traditionally underserved when it comes to local recycling options.”
Jean Bailliard, General Manager of TerraCycle Australia, said through the program, blister packs that were otherwise destined for landfill would be recycled.
“Blister packs are composed of various plastics, foils, and paper foils which pose a challenge for standard kerbside bin recycling. Each year, this contributes to a substantial volume of plastic waste directed to landfills, where it takes hundreds of years to break down.
Collected blister packs undergo shredding, and then the plastic is separated from the aluminum through elutriation (air density separation). Separating the plastic from the aluminium also requires an additional process of micronisation, which converts the material into powder. Once converted into powder, the remaining aluminium is removed through electrostatic separation.”
For more information on the Territory Pharmacy Blister Pack Free Recycling Program or to locate a participating store to drop-off household blister pack waste for recycling, visit: https://www.terracycle.com/en-
ABOUT TERRITORY PHARMACY
Territory Pharmacy is a leading pharmacy group at the heart of Northern Territory healthcare and was founded alongside Northpharm in 2000. The group is owned and operated by a team of pharmacists, and supported by a dedicated Territory workforce. The community pharmacies are situated in Darwin, Katherine, and Alice Springs. Territory Pharmacies deliver pharmacy, health, and wellbeing services in these regions. Northpharm Group is a reliable, experienced partner of choice for government departments and agencies, Aboriginal community controlled health organisations and other authorities.
Territory Pharmacies are guided by a simple mission statement: We believe in making innovative healthcare accessible and affordable to all Regional and Remote Communities.
ABOUT TERRACYCLE
TerraCycle is an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, creating and operating first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials, and reuse. Across 21 countries, TerraCycle is on a mission to rethink waste and develop practical solutions for today’s complex waste challenges. The company engages an expansive multi-stakeholder community across a wide range of accessible programs, from Fortune 500 companies to schools and individuals. To learn more about TerraCycle and join them on their journey to move the world from a linear economy to a circular one, please visit www.terracycle.com.
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