The Greenbox Container project, implemented with the participation of the pharmaceutical company Akrikhin, has expanded the infrastructure for collecting blisters from medicines for subsequent processing by 2.5 times — now the number of containers has reached 80 points and residents of Voronezh, Ryazan, Ivanovo, Ruza and Solnechnogorsk, as well as residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg, will be able to contribute to solving environmental issue.
The problem of blister disposal is related to the fact that they are classified as household waste if they are generated as waste outside a medical or pharmaceutical institution and not in production. This means that instead of being disposed of at special points, they will be thrown into regular containers for mixed waste, and then end up in a landfill and will decompose for hundreds of years, releasing toxins into the soil and groundwater. In 2024 alone, more than 2 billion2 packages of drugs were sold in Russia, and sales of the third most popular package of 10 tablets could have generated about 576 tons3 of waste from its blister part.
New collection points appeared due to the addition of three new partners: Scandinavia clinic chain, Pro Apteka pharmacies, and Olimp Zdorovya clinic chain. As a result, 1.2 tons of blisters were collected in 2024, which is equivalent to the weight of a passenger car. All of them were processed on special equipment that separates plastic from foil. The resulting material was used to create new products, in particular, sewer pipes. Thus, the blisters remained in economic circulation and found a second life.
We want as many Russians as possible to take the path of conscious consumption of medicines and take care of their health. We believe that health begins with habit. Throwing away a used blister in a special container is a small step that will allow you to take care of yourself, your loved ones and the planet, — noted Natalia Nesterenko, Director of Corporate Communications and Strategic Initiatives at Akrikhin.
As the geography and scope of the project expands, interest in the initiative for separate collection and recycling of used blister packaging has grown significantly. We receive several requests every week via the feedback form asking for containers for collecting blisters in pharmacies and other organizations. This is due, among other things, to the significant increase in interest in the initiative from consumers. Over the past year, the volume of blisters collected has more than doubled in more than half of our points, — said Valery Sinyakov, General Director of INFARM.
In 2025, the project was noted by experts of Platinum Ounce — the XXV All-Russian competition of pharmaceutical industry professionals, one of the most prestigious events in the Russian pharmaceutical industry, taking second place in the nomination “Social Project”. The organizers plan to increase the coverage to 200 separate collection points for blister packaging this year.
You can find the locations of the containers and fill out the form to join the project on the website: https://greenbox.eco/
List of sources:
- Population data for Voronezh, Ryazan, Ivanovo, Ruza, Solnechnogorsk, Moscow and St. Petersburg according to the Federal State Statistics Service for 2024
- Iqvia, MAT 10.2024 (November 23 — October 24)
- Iqvia, MAT 10.2024 (November 23 — October 24). Volume of 10-tablet packages sold, multiplied by the number of blisters and the average blister weight (2.1 grams). It is assumed that all sales of 10-tablet packages are blister packs and contain 1 blister. The average blister weight was obtained from Inpharm measurements.