Ever wondered what to do with empty paracetamol or ibuprofen packets? These little plastic and foil items, called blister packs, are made of valuable materials but can’t be recycled in kerbside bins.
We’ve got great news though. If you’re a City of Sydney resident, you can now recycle blister packs through the doorstep recycling service, our 20 recycling stations, Ultimo recycling pop-up and Recycle It Saturday events.
What is a blister pack?
Blister packs are the small packets made of plastic and foil that pills or tablets often come in. They can be fully foil too and we’ll accept both kinds for recycling. They just need to be empty.
They’re called blister packs because the plastic or foil is moulded to form bubbles or ‘blisters’ that cover each individual pill.
Special machinery is needed to recycle blister packs as they are made from more than one material. They can’t go in standard kerbside bins.
How to recycle blister packs
City of Sydney residents can access 4 free services for recycling blister packs and other tricky household items.
The easiest option is our doorstep recycling service. Book a collection online, bag up your items and we’ll pick them up from your doorstep or lobby. You don’t even need to be home.
You can also drop off small amounts at one of our 20 recycling stations at our customer service centres, libraries and community centres.
If you have larger amounts of blister packs, you can bring them to the Ultimo recycling pop-up every Tuesday or Recycle It Saturday, our quarterly drop-off event in Alexandria.
What happens to blister packs
Australian company Pharmacycle transports the blister packs to Silverwater for recycling.
Blister packs are shredded, ground and split into their component parts using air-density and electrostatic separation.
Salvaged plastic is provided to a Victorian company to make decking products. The foil is sent to a NSW factory and turned into aluminium pucks used in steel-making.
Why it’s important to recycle
Blister packs contain reusable plastic and infinitely recyclable aluminium foil. Sending your blister packs for recycling saves these precious resources from landfill and gives them a second life.
Find out more about the doorstep recycling service, recycling stations, Ultimo recycling pop-up and Recycle It Saturday, and start recycling your blister packs today.
Published 8 April 2024, updated 16 July 2025
