I am an asthma sufferer, and I use Ventolin inhalers to help with the symptoms of this condition.  Inhalers consist of a metal canister containing the drug, and a blue plastic actuator which allows the medicine to be taken in measured doses.

GlaxoSmithKine (GSK), the manufacturers of Ventolin, state on their website that around 73 million respiratory inhalers are prescribed every year in the UK.  In 2011, GSK began an initiative to recover and recycle used inhalers.  Whilst this is a great step, they had only recovered over 1.2 million inhalers by the end of 2017, which is around 200,000 each year - a tiny fraction of the number they produce. 

In other words, many millions of used inhalers are going to landfill every single year. 

We are now more aware than ever of the huge negative impact of plastic waste, in particular, on our environment, As somebody who cares about this issue, I do not want a new piece of plastic with every prescription.  I would prefer to keep one actuator for reuse, and receive only a new Ventolin canister when I need it. 

I contacted GSK to ask if there was any reason why this could not happen. They replied with a general reference to patient safety, but did offer any specific reason why the actuators could not be reused. 

So I am calling for:

1) The NHS, in conjunction with GSK, to review immediately the practice of including a brand new plastic actuator with every new Ventolin prescription;

2) Actuators to be made available on request from dispensing chemists for patients who need a new one, and;

3) GSK to make substantially greater efforts to publicise their 'Complete the Cycle' scheme, and keep many more inhalers out of landfill.  

Please support this petition, and help me to stop this completely unnecessary plastic waste.