How to Recycle Blister Packs in Australia
If you've ever popped the last paracetamol out of a foil and plastic blister, hovered over the yellow bin, then quietly dropped it in anyway, you are not alone. Empty pill packets are one of the most common items we hear about at BRAD HQ, and the question is almost always the same: are blister packs recyclable in Australia, and if so, how? The short answer is yes, but not in your kerbside bin. Here is the practical, no-faff 2026 guide to recycling blister packs in Australia, including where to drop them off, what to do if you cannot find a collection point, and exactly how BRAD fits in.
Why blister packs cannot go in the yellow bin
A blister pack is a deceptively complex little thing. Each pocket combines a thin layer of PVC or PET plastic on the underside with a sheet of foil on the top, fused together at high heat. Standard kerbside recycling facilities (called MRFs, or Material Recovery Facilities) are built to sort big, clean, single-material items. Mixed plastic and foil composites the size of your palm slip straight through the sorting screens, get rejected by optical sorters, or contaminate the bales that do make it through. So even when blister packs are popped into the yellow bin with the best intentions, they almost always end up in landfill.
The fix is purpose-built collection. Australia now has two reliable streams for blister packs: the Pharmacycle pharmacy network, and BRAD by Banish.
Where to recycle blister packs in Australia
Option 1: Chemist Warehouse and the Pharmacycle network
Pharmacycle is Australia's largest blister pack recycling program. In 2026, branded Pharmacycle bins sit near the dispensary at every Chemist Warehouse store in Australia, alongside more than 900 collection points in independent pharmacies. Since July 2022, the program has recycled over 120 million blister packs and counting.
Here is how to use it:
- Empty the blister pack completely. No tablets, capsules or liquid residue.
- You do not need to separate the foil from the plastic. Pharmacycle's process handles both layers.
- Drop the packs into the Pharmacycle bin near the dispensary at your nearest Chemist Warehouse or participating pharmacy. Use the Pharmacycle store locator to find your closest drop-off.
Pharmacycle is free, easy and on the way home from most appointments. If you live near a Chemist Warehouse, this is the lowest-friction option.
Option 2: BRAD by Banish
If a pharmacy drop-off is not practical (you are regional, time-poor, or you have a year's worth of empty packets in a drawer), BRAD is built for you. The Banish Recycling and Diversion Program accepts blister packs as one of its flagship categories, alongside toothbrushes, cosmetics, pens and coffee pods.
Recycle blister packs through BRAD
Send your blister packs (and 70+ other hard-to-recycle items) to BRAD by post. One label covers postage and the cost of recycling, and your items are processed onshore through Australian micro-recyclers. BRAD does accept blister packs.
How to prepare blister packs for BRAD
- Make sure every pocket is empty. Pop any unused tablets out and return unused or expired medication to a pharmacy through the RUM program. Medication does not go in any recycling bin.
- You do not need to wash or separate the foil. Just check there are no loose tablets caught at the back of the pack.
- Collect blister packs in a small container or zip-lock bag until you have enough to fill a BRAD box alongside your other hard-to-recycle items. Aim to fill the box so your postage label works hard for you.
What about asthma puffers, eye-drop vials and medication bottles?
Blister packs are one slice of medication packaging, but they are not the only one. A quick steer on the rest:
- Asthma puffers (inhalers). These contain pressurised propellants and cannot go in kerbside or BRAD. Return them to your pharmacy through the Pharmaceutical Society inhaler recovery program or check with your pharmacist.
- Eye-drop vials and small medical plastic. Too small for kerbside (they fall through MRF screens). Pop them into your BRAD box.
- Glass medication bottles. Rinse and put in the yellow bin once empty, with the lid off. Small medication lids can go in your BRAD box.
- Cardboard medication boxes. Straight in the yellow paper and cardboard recycling.
Frequently asked questions
Are blister packs recyclable in Australia?
Yes, but not through your kerbside yellow bin. Blister packs combine plastic and foil in a way that standard recycling facilities cannot process. They are recyclable through the Pharmacycle program at Chemist Warehouse and participating pharmacies, or through BRAD by post.
Can blister packs go in the yellow recycling bin?
No. They are too small and too mixed-material for kerbside sorting machinery. Anything you put in the yellow bin will almost certainly end up in landfill. Use a Pharmacycle drop-off or BRAD instead.
Does Chemist Warehouse recycle blister packs in 2026?
Yes. Every Chemist Warehouse store in Australia has a Pharmacycle bin near the dispensary as of 2026. Drop empty blister packs straight in, no need to separate the foil from the plastic. The program is also expanding into Amcal and Discount Drug Stores.
Does BRAD accept blister packs?
Yes. Blister packs are one of BRAD's flagship accepted items. Send them in by post with a BRAD Pre-Paid Box, or drop in at the Banish Sustainability Hub in Sydney.
Do I need to separate the foil from the plastic on a blister pack?
No. Both Pharmacycle and BRAD accept blister packs intact. Just make sure they are completely empty before dropping off or posting.