A Welsh government funded inhaler recycling scheme being trialled in parts of the Amman, Swansea, Neath and Dulais valleys is helping NHS Wales reduce its carbon emissions and work towards Net Zero ambitions.

Swansea Bay University Health Board 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 funding pot, which has opened for social and primary and community care sectors, is worth £800,000.

The initiative is being trialled across eight pharmacies in the Upper Valleys Cluster, using patient education and promotional material, like stickers on medication bags and boxes, to encourage people to return used or unwanted inhalers to their pharmacy.

The Inhaler Recycling Pilot Project has used Welsh government funding to establish a contract with Grundon Waste Management, which sees the inhalers collected and HFA gases recaptured, cleansed and reused in refrigeration.

Both the aluminium and plastic casing of the inhalers are also being recycled.

A study by the Upper Valleys Cluster previously indicated 90% of inhalers were being sent to landfill via general household waste – this can see the HFA gases leak out of the inhalers and contribute to global warming.

A survey undertaken by a Cluster pharmacy reported that 97.5% of patients who took part said they would be willing to return the inhaler to their pharmacy.

The Cluster’s aim is to recycle 80% of all inhalers prescribed in the programme 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.”

Rhian Newton, Head of Prescribing and Medicines Management, added: “Success of this pilot is dependent upon the engagement of patients returning used inhalers to their local community pharmacy for recycling.

“We would like to thank patients for their continued support to this extremely important project and for playing their part in ensuring we, as a collective, reduce carbon emissions in line with the green agenda.”