WORKING TOGETHER

Grace Onions from the Soroptimist Club of Croydon, and Patricia Painting from the Rotary Club of Croydon, have been collecting used blister packs for recycling by the specialist company TerraCycle.

Blister packets are made from rigid plastic sides with an aluminium foil. First, the blister packets will be shredded, and their size reduced to flakes or powder. The aluminium is then separated out from the plastic, sent for smelting, then typically used as the base material for products such as washers, rings, nut and bolts. 

The plastics go through a melting process where they become a usable raw material for new products. Depending on the material composition of the plastic, these recycled blister packets can live again as new products from waste bins, UPVC window frames, outdoor furniture, or plastic lumber.

The different material types are cleaned, then sent to third-party processing partners that recycle the materials into usable forms. 

The sample of blister packs seen in the photo above have been collected from Soroptimists, Rotarians, friends, neighbours, and members of the Purley and Coulsdon Clubs for the Elderly (PACE).

With thanks to Superdrug Croydon for collecting used blister packs on behalf of TerraCycle.

Patricia Painting
Rotary Club of Croydon
21 September 2021