The Circularity in Primary Pharmaceutical Packaging Accelerator (CiPPPA) has launched CircuBack, a dedicated take-back scheme designed to make recycling empty blister packaging practical and accessible across the UK healthcare system.
Delivered in partnership with MYGroup and Cencora Alliance Healthcare, the initiative aims to divert millions of plastic and foil packs from landfill.
Blister packs are the most common form of primary medicine packaging, accounting for around 85% of solid unit drug doses in Europe.
Globally, 36 million tonnes of blister packs are produced.
In the UK, the NHS alone is estimated to use over 150 million blister packs each year.
However, because blister packaging consists of a composite structure of plastic fused with aluminium foil, it cannot be recycled through standard municipal household collections, leaving incineration or landfill as the default disposal routes.
How the Scheme Works
Through the CircuBack initiative, members of the public can now drop off their empty blister packs at collection bins located in participating community pharmacies, GP surgeries, and hospital dispensing sites.
A specialist waste management partner collects the returned packaging, separates the bonded plastic and aluminium layers, and recycles both materials in full compliance with UK health, safety, and environmental regulations.
The scheme accepts all brands of blister packaging, regardless of manufacturer.
CircuBack also serves as the foundational step for CiPPPA’s broader One Solution programme, which plans to introduce dedicated recycling streams for complex medical waste such as inhalers and injectables in later phases.
Maryam Babba, Ph.D., representing CiPPPA, said: “Blister packs are often considered among the most challenging components of primary pharmaceutical packaging and medicinal devices to recycle, and historically efforts at recycling were siloed and fragmented. Last year’s launch of ReHale Phase II demonstrated the power of pre-competitive, industry-wide collaboration, and now, with the launch of CircuBack, this approach is scaling even further.
“Thanks to the technical expertise, practical input, and financial commitment of our members, years of dedication have delivered significant progress, achieving what once seemed almost impossible. The programme is driving systemic change across the sector and supporting behaviour change among the public, marking a major milestone in advancing circular solutions for pharmaceutical packaging.”
