Introducing Pharmacycle for blister packs

Published on 12 June 2024

Every year, hundreds of millions of blister packs either end up in landfill, or are incorrectly put in recycle bins, contaminating recycling material streams.

Pharmacycle has provided a mechanism for doing this with specialised recycling technology. Collected blister packs are transported to the processing facility in Sydney where contents are checked and weighed, allowing the company to track and report on collections at drop-off locations with participating organisations.

After visual quality control checks, the empty blister packs undergo a series of mechanical processes to separate metals from plastics, which includes shredding, grinding, air-density separation and electrostatic separation, before being placed in bulk bags to be sent for re-use in other products.

Now, Unley Council has joined the initiative to reduce this sort of waste going to landfill. As of June 2024, we are providing bins at various locations.

Large blue bins will be available next to other Tricky Waste bins at Council's Works Depot, located at 75 King William Road. Deposit of blister packs is only available on Mondays at this stage (and not on Mondays which are public holidays).

However, you can drop your medicine packs at Council's Civic Centre (181 Unley Road Unley) in the reception area, in the bins pictured throughout the week. 

Fullarton Park Community Centre also has one of these bins where you can drop your blister packs - at 411 Fullarton Road, Fullarton (corner of Fisher Street).

So don't throw them into your blue or green bin - help the environment and save those used pill packets up and drop them at any of the above handy locations!

You can learn more about how to dispose of Tricky Waste items here on the website.