Asthma sufferers across Manchester are now able to recycle their used inhalers in a new scheme attempting to reduce their environmental impact.
The scheme will be rolled out to hospitals across the UK but begins at The University Hospital of South Manchester (UHSM) in Wythenshawe today.
‘Complete the Cycle’ allows patients to drop off their old inhalers to be recycled when they pick up their new ones – helping reduce the environmental impact caused by the landfill disposal of inhalers.
Professor Ashley Woodcock, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at UHSM is delighted that the scheme, launching at the hospital today, kicks-off in Manchester.
“This inhaler recycling initiative is critically important in putting climate change under the spotlight for health professionals,” Professor Woodcock said.
“I’m delighted that Manchester has been chosen as the place to launch Complete the Cycle in hospitals and that UHSM has been specifically chosen because of its green credentials.”
More than 63% of the 73million inhalers used in the UK every year are disposed of in domestic bins and therefore in landfill.
This method of disposal is not only environmentally damaging with material waste but also potentially in greenhouse gas emissions.
Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England, said: “We know that millions of people use inhalers every year and disposing of them in landfill has a significant environmental impact.”
“It is important that everyone plays a part in helping to reduce waste by recycling more.”
‘Complete the Cycle’ will be run by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and already exists in more than 2,000 community pharmacies across the UK.
Since launching in 2011 over 221,000 have been returned.
If every user in the UK returned all their inhalers across one year, this would save 512,330 tonnes of CO2eq and would allow a VW 1.4TSI Golf car to be driven around the world 88,606 times.
Doctors and nurses will encourage patients on their wards and in outpatient clinics to drop their empty inhalers in dedicated recycling boxes at the hospital
The scheme can also help patients to use their medicine more effectively.
A GSK scheme found that 29% of the inhalers that were returned were not empty, giving doctors the chance to show patients how to improve their inhaler use.
Richard Pamenter, Vice President of Environmental Sustainability, at GSK believes the scheme can make a big difference.
“Doctors and nurses in hospitals like UHSM are perfectly placed to talk to patients about the importance of recycling their inhalers alongside conversations about next steps for their treatment,” he said.
“This will make a real difference to the number of inhalers we can collect and recycle and, in turn, a big impact on the environment.”
Picture courtesy of NIAID, with thanks.
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