According to the Associated Press, GlaxoSmithKline is extending its “Complete the Cycle” inhaler recycling program to 31 US cities, which were chosen because they account for about a third of all inhaler sales in the US, the company said. Patients will be able to drop off used inhalers at approximately 2,000 pharmacies in those cities.
A statement about inhaler recycling on the company’s web site says that it began a pilot program in 5 US cities in 2010 after analyzing its carbon footprint and determining that its inhalers were responsible for 5.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, the second largest portion of GSK’s overall footprint.
GSK Senior VP for the respiratory unit Jorge Bartolome said that the company expects that a minimum of 100,000 inhalers would be recycled in the first 12 months. He added, “This is good for patients. This is good for pharmacists. This is good for the environment.”
GSK has been partnered with Terracycle UK and the Co-operative Pharmacies on the recycling program in the UK since 2011. A pilot program is also underway in Chile.
Read the AP article.
