[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Joyce Watson AM is encouraging people in mid and west Wales to take part in a new scheme that is breathing new life into old inhalers.
Complete the Cycle in the first UK-wide recycling and recovery scheme for the inhalers used to treat conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (or COPD).
At a launch event in the Senedd, Cardiff Bay, on Monday (6 June), Mrs Watson said:
“Because of the plastics used and metal components, inhalers can be tricky to recycle. When disposed of in landfills, they can be harmful to the environment – not just in material waste but in greenhouse gas emissions, if the gas canister is damaged and the propellant is released.
“Now, though, people can dispose of their old inhalers safely and responsibly, simply by dropping them off at their local pharmacy.”
In the UK, 73 million respiratory inhalers are used every year and 63 per cent of users say they put their old inhalers in their household bin.
Through the scheme, plastic and aluminium parts of the inhaler are recycled and used in new products such as plastic bottles, car parts or garden furniture. Non-recyclable inhaler waste, meanwhile, will be converted into electricity or heat via incineration.
Complete the Cycle is run by GlaxoSmithKline. To find out more about the scheme, and to locate your nearest participating pharmacy, visit: http://uk.gsk.com/en-gb/responsibility/our-planet/complete-the-cycle/[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
