An inhaler recycling scheme at Swansea Bay University Health Board is reducing emissions and helping NHS Wales work towards Net Zero ambitions.
The initiative is using funding from the Health and Social Care Climate Emergency National Programme to pilot the responsible disposal of inhalers containing hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) gases.
The initiative is currently being trialled across eight pharmacies in the Upper Valleys Cluster, which covers parts of the Neath, Dulais, Swansea and Amman valleys.
The trial involves using patient education and promotional material to encourage people to return used or unwanted inhalers to the pharmacy.
The Inhaler Recycling Pilot Project means that the inhalers are collected, the HFA gases are captured, cleansed and reused and the aluminium and plastic casing are recycled.
A previous study by the Upper Valleys Cluster revealed that 90 per cent of inhalers were being sent to landfill via general household waste, which means that the HFA gases leak out and contribute to global warming. The Cluster's new aim is to recycles 80 per cent of all inhalers in the area by 2025.
Niki Watts, Upper Valleys Cluster Lead Pharmacist, said: "I ran a survey to find out why patients weren’t dropping their inhalers to the pharmacy because just two were returned in a few months.
"The general consensus was they thought they would be recycled if disposed of in their household recycling, which isn’t the case. So, patients did not realise that their method was having a negative impact on the environment.
"We educated patients on this, and it has proved very effective in what we’re trying to achieve with recycling inhalers."
NHS Wales Chief Executive Judith Paget said: "As one of the largest public sector emitters of CO2e, the NHS must act now to reduce its environmental impact and be an exemplar in taking steps to protect the health and wellbeing of future generations.
"This inhaler recycling scheme is exactly the sort of initiative the NHS Wales Decarbonisation Strategic Delivery Plan wants to champion and scale across Wales. It is changing behaviour and helping Wales reduce its carbon emissions.
"It is encouraging to see through the survey how many people realise we all have a role to play in the decarbonisation of our health service."
Image by InspiredImages from Pixabay
