Transition Buxton campaign sees Springs retailer add collection point for recycling medical blister packs

Superdrug, in the Springs shopping centre, now has a special bin for medical blister packs just by the dispensing counter.

It is the latest step in a campaign by Transition Buxton towards achieving ‘plastic free community’ status, which has seen similar bins pop up elsewhere and businesses commit to reducing their own waste.

Transition spokesman Derek Bodey said: “We are really grateful to Superdrug for signing up to be a local collection point.”

“As we emerge from lockdown, we really want to help Buxton build back better, but to do that we need community groups and businesses to step up and reduce their use of single use plastic.”

He added: “There is a simple pledge that any organisation can sign. By doing so, they will be playing a part in reducing pollution and reducing dangerous climate emissions.”

Blister packs cannot currently be recycled via normal household waste processing and, like most single-use plastics, they will instead end up in landfill or incinerators.

Now anyone can drop off their old packs at the shop, and Superdrug will then send them off to be dealt with responsibly.

The waste will be separated by polymer type and cleaned if necessary before the material is extruded into plastic pellets to make new recycled products.

Superdrug is the latest retailer to heed the campaign, with hard-to-recycle collection points for other forms of waste including Sainsbury’s, Iceland and the University Dome.

For more information, go to www.transitionbuxton.co.uk/recycling or email plastic@transitonBuxton.co.uk.