Pharmacycle Medical Blister Packs

There are participating Pharmacies in the Tamworth Regional Council LGA that will accept your used blister packs for recycling. 

To find out the latest participating pharmacy information by clicking below.

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What happens to the blister packs after collection?

The blister packs are transported to Sydney and put through a series of mechanical recycling processes to separate the aluminium from the plastic.

Finally, the separated aluminium and plastic materials are sent to end-users to be turned into new products.

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Why can’t blister packs go into the normal kerbside recycling?

Great question and there are a few reasons why as follows:

1. They’re made of mixed materials

Blister packs are typically a combination of:

  • Plastic (PVC or PET) for the clear part, and
  • Aluminium foil for the backing.

These two materials are fused tightly together — which makes them very hard to separate mechanically. Recycling facilities are set up to process single-material items (like a PET bottle or an aluminium can), not composite materials like blister packs.

2. Sorting machines can’t recognise them

Kerbside recycling facilities use automated sorting technology — things like:

  • Optical scanners for plastics,
  • Magnets and eddy currents for metals, and
  • Air jets to separate materials by weight.

Because blister packs are flat, small, and multi-layered, they confuse these systems and often end up being rejected or sent to landfill with contamination.

3. They can contaminate other recyclables

If blister packs are mixed in with standard recyclables, the mixed materials and small foil pieces can:

  • Jam sorting equipment,
  • Reduce the quality of plastic or metal bales, and
  • Cause more recyclables to be sent to landfill.