All inhalers have an environmental impact; the majority are not recycled, with many disposed of inappropriately through domestic waste. To assess the feasibility of a method for recovering and recycling inhalers, Chiesi Limited (Chiesi) set up and funded ‘Take AIR (Action for Inhaler Recycling)’, a 12-month pilot postal scheme facilitated by community pharmacies across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland, and hospitals in Leicestershire. All inhalers were accepted in the scheme. The recovered pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) were dismantled and component parts recycled where possible; the remaining propellant gas was extracted for reuse in refrigeration and air conditioning industries. Other inhaler types were incinerated in an ‘energy-from-waste’ facility. From February 2021 to February 2022, 20,049 inhalers were returned; most (77%) were pMDIs. So far, Take AIR has saved the equivalent of an estimated 119.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere. Our experience demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of a postal inhaler recovery and recycling scheme, which could be used as a foundation to build future initiatives.

所有吸入器都会对环境产生影响；大多数没有被回收利用，其中许多被不当处理为生活垃圾。为了评估回收和再循环吸入器方法的可行性，Chiesi Limited (Chiesi) 设立并资助了“Take AIR（吸入器回收行动）”，这是一个为期 12 个月的试点邮政计划，由莱斯特、莱斯特郡和莱斯特郡的社区药店推动拉特兰和莱斯特郡的医院。该计划接受了所有吸入器。拆解回收的加压计量吸入器 (pMDI)，并在可能的情况下回收零部件；剩余的推进剂气体被提取用于制冷和空调行业的再利用。其他类型的吸入器在“变废为宝”设施中被焚烧。2021年2月至2022年2月，共回收吸入器20049台；大多数 (77%) 是 pMDI。到目前为止，Take AIR 已经减少了相当于 119.3 吨进入大气的二氧化碳排放量。我们的经验证明了邮政吸入器回收和再循环计划的可行性和有效性，可以作为构建未来计划的基础。