Australia’s blister pack recycling scheme, Pharmacycle, has surpassed a major sustainability milestone, with more than 150 million blister packs collected and recycled since launch, alongside continued expansion of its national recovery network.
The program now operates through more than 1000 active drop-off locations nationwide, spanning pharmacies, hospitals, schools, workplaces, community organisations and local government facilities across metropolitan, regional and remote areas.
Blister packs, commonly used for prescription and over-the-counter medicines, are made from a combination of plastic and aluminium and cannot be processed through standard household kerbside recycling systems. As a result, they have been a significant source of landfill waste.
Pharmacycle says the milestone reflects increasing participation across the healthcare and retail ecosystem, supported by pharmacies, councils, sponsoring brands, and everyday Australians who contribute used packs for recovery.
“Every blister pack returned represents somebody making a conscious choice to keep valuable materials out of landfill,” said program lead Ursi Kernan.
“When tens of thousands of people make those small decisions over time, the environmental impact becomes significant. Reaching 150 million blister packs shows how powerful community participation can be.”
The company says it will continue expanding awareness and infrastructure to increase recovery rates nationwide.
