Territory Pharmacy collaborates with TerraCycle® for territory-wide blister pack recycling program

Territory Pharmacy, the largest pharmacy group in the Northern Territory, Australia, has initiated the pioneering free blister pack recycling program across the territory. This initiative is made possible through a partnership with TerraCycle^®, an innovative recycling company.

Let's know 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 for government departments and agencies, Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations and other authorities.

A simple mission statement guides Territory Pharmacies, "We believe in making innovative healthcare accessible and affordable to all Regional and Remote Communities."

Wide-spread launch

The Territory Pharmacy Blister Pack Free Recycling Program is set to launch with an initial pilot in 12 participating Territory Pharmacies and 2 regional health clinics. It will accept empty blister packs and medication packs from all brands. The program aims to expand to additional locations in the future.

In the Northern Territory, just 60 per cent of residents benefit from kerbside collection services, leaving many regional and remote communities without municipal waste collection options. Compared to other Australian states, access to municipal kerbside recycling is scarce in the Northern Territory. Additionally, blister packs have posed a challenge as they cannot be recycled through council kerbside recycling due to their complex composition. As a result, Northern Territorians have had little choice but to dispose of blister packs in landfills until now.

The new collection program will involve 12 pharmacies and 2 regional health clinics located throughout the Northern Territory, serving as drop-off points. Here, Territorians can deposit their empty blister and medication packs into designated collection boxes for recycling. Additionally, the program is set to extend to 60 remote health clinics in the near future.

Let’s hear the organisational head’s statements

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, the 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 aluminium 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."

Let's know 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.

Global Aluminium Industry Outlook 2024

AL Circle's latest industry-focused report, "Global Aluminium Industry Outlook 2024", stated that the worldwide aluminium foil usage is estimated at 6.24 million tonnes during 2023 and is expected to grow by 24.21 per cent in 2024 to stand at 6.51 million tonnes.

Active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) drugs are prone to moisture sensitivity due to their intricate structures, which can lead to undesired physical, chemical, or pharmacological changes, thereby compromising the drug's efficacy upon exposure to moisture. Aluminium blister films are utilised to safeguard the medicine and its constituents from humid environments and provide comprehensive protection.

Moreover, the burgeoning pharmaceutical industry, propelled by governmental initiatives aimed at enhancing healthcare programs in developing regions, is expected to propel the growth of the global pharmaceutical packaging market. This surge in demand for pharmaceutical packaging is poised to augment the need for aluminium blister films, further accentuating their market demand.