Tesco has launched a new medicine and packaging and materials trial, which allows shoppers to drop off plastic Calpol syringes at recycling units instore or send them directly via freepost.
The trial – which will be running throughout the summer – aims to provide a space for people to deposit small items like bottles, medicine syringes, blister packs, and spoons –which can sometimes be too small for the machinery at standard recycling facilities.
Customers can also deposit other Kenvue medicine brands like Benadryl, Imodium and Benylin at the Tesco drop-off points. The materials will go on to be used in new items like plastic chairs and tables.
The trial, which will see be running at select Tesco stores across the UK, comes as the brand is investing $800 million by 2030 to support its ambitions through its Healthy Lives Mission.
It also plans to introduce 100% certified or post-consumer recycled paper and pulp based packaging by 2025.
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“As the UK’s bestselling children’s medicine brand, we hear many stories of parents with Calpol syringes that they don’t know what to do with them, so we have listened and taken action,” said Kenvue area managing director Charmaine England.
“While you can already add Calpol product packaging and glass bottles to the appropriate household recycling for kerbside collection, we know it can be tricky to ensure smaller items such as plastic medicine syringes, blister packs and spoons are collected and recycled,” she continued.
“That’s why we’re excited to collaborate with Tesco to give consumers a convenient way to dispose of their Calpol materials.
“By launching this innovative trial, we’re helping to increase the chances of our plastic materials being recycled and used in new products such as plastic children’s tables and chairs, helping to protect our environment.”
2 Comments. Leave new
Calpol shouldn’t be putting a new one in each box, we all have hundreds and don’t need a new one each time. We can pick one up from the pharmacy free if we need one. That would save tonnes of plastic
I followed the link to the tescos website and from there it is impossible to find any information about where to send the freehold syringes to or find out which stores have a drop off. I tried to search it on the website and it comes up with nothing? No wonder nobody has heard of this service, if I can’t even find it when I know what I’m looking for how are others meant to find it?