Supermarket chain Aldi and US-based recycling business TerraCycle have started a trial to recycle all brands of empty medicine blister packs for free in the United Kingdom.
The trial launched on October 9 and runs nationwide. It is expected to help Aldi assess customer demand for the recycling solution. Aldi customers can send their empty blister packs via any Royal Mail Post Office or postbox in an envelope with a freepost shipping label, which can be accessed via the Aldi website.
Blister packs are made from plastic and aluminum foil and cannot currently be recycled at the curbside. The scheme will thus divert the packaging from landfill and incineration. “The removal of pharmaceutical packaging from landfill and incineration remains a key focus,” said Julien Tremblin, general manager at TerraCycle Europe. “We are delighted to work with Aldi on this new medicine blister pack recycling scheme, which will enable the creation of a more circular plastic packaging chain.”
To participate in the scheme, users will need to create a TerraCycle account and join the Aldi Blister Pack Envelope Recycling Programme. They can then download the prepaid shipping label, limited to two labels per TerraCycle account per month maximum. The label should then be printed and stuck on an envelope, which can be filled with a maximum of 30 medicine blister packs. Participants can thus send up to 60 empty medicine blister packs to TerraCycle per month. Once collected, the blister packs are cleaned and separated by material type. TerraCycle contracts third-party facilities to recycle the material.
“Being able to recycle this type of packaging into raw material, which can then be used for new products, is something we and our UK Plastics Pact members are working hard to achieve on a range of difficult-to-recycle plastics,” said Adam Herriott, senior specialist at the Waste & Resources Action Programme, a British charity focused on achieving a circular economy. “We look forward to seeing the results of the trial.”
Aldi did not disclose how long the trial recycling scheme will run for. The German multinational was also the first UK supermarket member of the Podback recycling scheme, which helps customers to recycle their used coffee, tea, and hot chocolate pods. Over the years, TerraCycle has developed a reputation for tackling difficult-to-recycle material streams. Early on, the company made a name for itself through its juice pouch recycling, but has created collection efforts targeted at many types of packaging.