How do you dispose of used, expired or unwanted asthma inhalers, and used medicine blister packs (aluminium packs containing pills and tablets)?
Probably, by trashing them into a bin. However, there is a much environmentally safer way of disposing them once they’re not needed anymore. Medical items like asthma inhalers are actually hazardous to the environment when thrown away improperly.
Pressurised asthma inhalers are often discarded before they are completely empty, and these inhalers contain propellants that release greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming.
Healthcare systems alone contribute to 5.9 million tonnes of solid waste in landfills, accounting for over 4 per cent of carbon emissions globally. Asthma inhalers are among these medical waste items.
For proper and safe disposal, GSK Pharmacy came up with a brilliant solution – placing a drop off bin at pharmacies nationwide to collect used, expired or unwanted inhalers, and medicine blister packs.
GSK launched the #GiveBack campaign in June last year, to promote responsible disposal of medical waste, reduce landfill waste, and prevent unused medications and greenhouse gases from contaminating the environment.
Proper disposal of medical waste
Getting the ball rolling with this environmental initiative, an orange-coloured GSK #GiveBack bin was placed at their first campaign partner – BIG Pharmacy – where all medical waste is collected and sent for proper disposal.
A year later, on 14 June 2023, GSK launched its second phase of the campaign in conjunction with World Environment Day to champion responsible disposal of medical waste.
This time, GSK collaborated with more pharmacies to implement the initiative nationwide, in the hopes of educating more people on safer medical waste disposal.
“In June last year, we started the pilot phase with our first campaign partner, BIG Pharmacy, and this year, we are excited to welcome on board additional partners,“ said Vice President and General Manager of GSK Malaysia and Brunei, Dr. Jonathan Pan.
Among the participating pharmacies were: Alpro Pharmacy, AM PM Pharmacy, BIG Pharmacy, CARING Pharmacy Group, FirstCare Pharmacy, Health Lane Family Pharmacy, Mega Kulim Pharmacy, Park@city Pharmacy & Medical Supplies, Straits Pharmacy, and Sunway Multicare Pharmacy, supported by the Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS).
“At GSK, we are moved to act and have pledged to achieve our global sustainability goals of net zero impact on climate and net positive impact on nature by 2030,“ said Pan during the launch ceremony at Sunway Pyramid.
“Our #GiveBack campaign supports these environmental targets while offering the public a convenient way to responsibly dispose of their asthma inhalers and medicine blister packs, helping to reduce landfill waste and contamination of our air and water supply,“ added Pan.
“At the end of the day, all of us have a part to play because this only works if we all make an effort,“ said Pan.
He told the audience to share the news with family and friends and to participate by dropping off inhalers and blister packs at any of the aforementioned collection points or during the #GiveBack Roving Truck Roadshow, which will take place from 17 June to 26 June 2023, around Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.
Raising awareness through art
To further engage the public, GSK commissioned a #GiveBack art installation using discarded blister packs and asthma inhalers from The Design School at Taylor’s University that was unveiled at the event.
The aim of the installation was to create awareness, highlight the importance of proper medical waste disposal and its impact on the environment, include the younger generation, and encourage environmental advocacy.
The design students put their creative minds together to make a stunning piece of environmental art.
Titled “The boy and the bubble”, a human figure was created with recycled material and used aluminium blister packs creatively made into a shiny T-shirt.
The packs were coloured to make grey short pants and ankle-high bright red boots.
The artwork depicts a boy breathing in a bubble, which is full of medication and inhalers that release greenhouse gases, while he stands on planet Earth and crushes it.
The art conveys the weight of his action by taking the medication, and dropping the medical packaging waste on the ground (landfill).
The arts send a message that we rely on medication to save our lives, but medical waste causes harm to the environment, thus making us sick again in a repetitive cycle.
A #GiveBackDialogue session with GSK’s Director of Communications, Government Affairs, and Strategic Customer Solutions – David Lin, the Malaysian Pharmacists Society’s president, Prof. Amrahi Buang, Alpro Pharmacy’s chief pharmacist, Ph Lim En Ni, and Taylor’s University’s Design School’s Programme Director, Asrizal Razali, took place at the event.
Afterwards, David Lin told The Sun that pharmacists can play a part in educating customers to drop off their medical waste properly when they are dispensing medication to them.
“Pharmacists can inform customers to bring back finished inhalers,“ said Lin, who is targeting to collect 1 tonnes of waste nationwide within 12 months.
School, Taylor’s University – Asrizal Razali, Vice President and General Manager of GSK Malaysia and Brunei – Dr Jonathan Pan, and Director David Lin unveiling the art show piece.
