German budget supermarket chain Aldi has announced partnering with recycling company TerraCycle to help customers recycle their used Aldi-branded plastic and aluminium foil medicine packaging.

The initial trial of this recycling partnership commenced yesterday (9 October) and will run across all Aldi stores in the UK.

The pilot will allow Aldi's customers to send their empty blister packs in an envelope via any Royal Mail Post Office or postbox.

The packaging can be shipped with a Freepost shipping label, which can be obtained from Aldi’s website.

The retailer said that one customer can send up to two envelopes per month during this trial phase.

Aldi UK Plastics and Packaging director Luke Emery said: “We are committed to reducing our impact on the environment and continue to look for new ways to promote recycling wherever possible.

“We hope our customers will get involved in the trial and embrace this new way of recycling their empty blister packets.”

After receiving this empty packaging, TerraCycle will convert it into recycled raw material.

This raw material can then be used for making new products such as outdoor furniture and compartments of aluminium or plastic waste bins.

TerraCycle Europe general manager Julien Tremblin said: “The removal of pharmaceutical packaging from landfill and incineration remains a key focus.

“We are delighted to work with Aldi on this new medicine blister pack recycling scheme, which will enable the creation of a more circular plastic packaging chain.”

Aldi is also a part of the Podback recycling scheme, under which its customers can recycle their used coffee, tea, and hot chocolate pods.

Aldi joined the Podback scheme in December last year and claims to be the first supermarket to have done so.

Waste and Resources Action Programme senior specialist Adam Herriott added: “Blister packs are a product that cannot currently be recycled at kerbside and are instead disposed of in general waste, so we fully support this trial.”