By Jenny, GSK Respiratory and Neuroscience

Today, November 15, is an important day for me: it's America Recycles Day. Living on Lake Michigan, I have developed a profound respect for our natural resources. You can catch me most evenings collecting plastic bottles and downed mylar balloons that sometimes litter our sandy beach. I was thrilled four years ago when I got the chance to work on developing a recycling program for empty GSK respiratory inhalers.

I am proud to say that I will celebrate America Recycles Day having launched that recycling program, which allows patients to drop off their empty inhalers at participating community-based retail pharmacies in 31 US markets. It's a program that has been created based on customer feedback, with years of work from me and a devoted team of GSK colleagues.

The GSK program is called Complete the Cycle^TM Recycle Program for GSK Respiratory Inhalers.  Inhalers are used for delivering GSK respiratory medicines. When inhalers are empty, if placed in household recycling bins, they are not be able to be recycled and end up in up in landfills. This recycling program is the first of its kind in the US pharmaceutical industry and is a part of GSK's ongoing commitment to sustainability. We estimate that the Complete the Cycle recycling program will help keep 100,000 inhalers from going to landfills. 

If you or someone you know has empty GSK respiratory inhalers, make it a point to bring them into a participating pharmacy and help us Complete the Cycle!