Pharmacycle
Pharmacycle operates Australia's only end-to-end recycling program for medicinal blister packs and inhalers, serving pharmacies (1000+ drop-off points), hospitals, local councils, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and households through mail-in satchels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersSilverwater, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Pharmacycle does
Pharmacycle operates Australia's only end-to-end recycling program for medicinal blister packs and related healthcare packaging, including inhalers and (pilot-stage) injection pens. Founded in July 2022 and headquartered in Silverwater, New South Wales, the company processes collected blister packs at its Sydney/Silverwater facility using a mechanical separation chain — shredding, grinding, air-density separation, and electrostatic separation — to recover both aluminium foil and plastic at a claimed 100% material recovery rate, with 100% landfill diversion. The company reports having recycled 170 million blister packs since launch and operates 1,000+ active collection points nationwide.
The product portfolio is structured around collection hardware: Recycle at Home Satchels ($34.95 AUD) for households, Pharmacycle Boxes ($192.50 AUD), Collection Point Starter Packs ($1,108.80 AUD with 6 liner boxes), Liner Box Refills ($181.50 AUD), Retail Display Covers ($93.50 AUD), and Inhaler Recycling Collection Points ($209 AUD per 20L bucket). End-of-stream recovered aluminium is supplied to Weston Aluminium for steel-making de-oxidant pucks, and recovered plastic is processed by Plastic Forests and Think Fencing into fencing, decking, and edging products.
Revenue is generated through a mix of five streams: consumer hardware sales (satchels, boxes, refills), pharmacy partnership fees (Chemist Warehouse, Blooms The Chemist, National Pharmacies, MyChemist, independents), hospital managed services (currently 45 hospitals with collection schedules and sustainability reporting), council managed services (20+ Australian local government areas including Ararat, Greater Geelong, Mitchell Shire, Bayside), and pharmaceutical manufacturer sponsorships (Haleon for the Panadol household mail-in program, Kenvue, iNova Pharmaceuticals). The program is described as voluntary and funded by participating stores, industry sponsors, and government organizations. Founding partners PanelCycle, The Activ Group, and NetNada contributed expertise in recycling, product stewardship, and sustainability software respectively. Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees, with no disclosed external funding rounds.
Pharmacycle firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pharmacycle
- Legal name
- Pharmacycle Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://pharmacycle.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Pharmacycle operates Australia's only end-to-end recycling program for medicinal blister packs and inhalers, serving pharmacies (1000+ drop-off points), hospitals, local councils, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and households through mail-in satchels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pharmacycle industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pharmaceutical Packaging Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Waste Collection (56211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply) (EUAIAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Plastic Recycling Equipment & Technology Providers (Sorting, Washing, Extrusion) (EUAIAKAM)
Keywords
Where Pharmacycle is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Silverwater
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices3 records
Markets served
Pharmacycle business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Sale of recycling products including satchels, boxes, liner refills, and retail display covers. Satchels sold for $34.95 AUD, boxes from $192.50 AUD. Price includes home kit, postage, and end-to-end recycling processing.
- Pharmacy Partnership Fees: Voluntary recycling program funded by participating pharmacies, industry sponsors and government organisations. Pharmacies pay to participate as collection points.
- Council Service Fees: Councils pay for blister pack recycling services with tailored solutions. Pricing varies by service solution chosen. No minimum commitment period required.
- Hospital Service Fees: Hospitals pay for recycling program participation including fit-to-purpose receptacles, collection schedules, and sustainability reporting.
- Manufacturer Sponsorship: Pharmaceutical manufacturers sponsor the program. Notable partnerships with iNova Pharmaceuticals, Haleon (Panadol), and Kenvue who support collection initiatives.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Pharmacycle Box - Standard collection box for pharmacies |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Collection Point Starter Pack - Retail display with 6 liner boxes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Collection Point Liner Box Refills - Replacement liner boxes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Collection Point Retail Display Cover - Customer-facing display |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Recycle at Home Satchel - Mail-in recycling for households |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Inhaler Recycling Collection Point - 20L bucket for inhaler recycling |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Pharmacycle product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pharmacycle operates Australia's first and only complete end-to-end recycling program for medicinal blister packs and inhalers. The company manages the full lifecycle — collection through a network of 1000+ pharmacy, hospital, council and household drop-off points; logistics; and mechanical processing at its Sydney facility where aluminium foil is separated from plastic via shredding, grinding, air-density separation, and electrostatic separation. Recovered materials are supplied to Australian manufacturers (Think Fencing, Weston Aluminium, Plastic Forests) for new product manufacturing, achieving 100% diversion from landfill.
Product overview
Pharmacycle is Australia\'s only complete end-to-end recycling solution for medicinal blister packs and inhalers, offering a platform of collection and recycling products across multiple customer segments (households, pharmacies, hospitals, councils). The core product portfolio consists of Recycle at Home Satchels and Pharmacycle Boxes for collecting blister packs, supplemented by Collection Point Starter Packs, Liner Box Refills, and Retail Display Covers for pharmacies wanting to become collection points. The offering recently expanded to include Inhaler Recycling Collection Points for both MDI and DPI inhalers. All products are supported by a processing facility in Sydney that separates aluminium and plastic materials, with recovered aluminium sent to Weston Aluminium for steel manufacturing and recovered plastic sent to Think Fencing for decking and fencing products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Recycle at Home Satchel Mail-in recycling satchel for households to recycle used and empty blister packs from home. Holds approximately 150–200 blister packs. Every order includes the home kit, free return postage, and end-to-end recycling processing performed in Australia. Sold for $34.95 AUD.
- Pharmacycle Box Standard collection box for pharmacies to collect empty medicinal blister packs of any brand for recycling. Sold for $192.50 AUD with bundle options available (Pre-Purchase 2 Pack). Used by pharmacies to host a public drop-off point with monthly collections.
- Collection Point Starter Pack Retail display bundle for pharmacies setting up a blister pack collection point. Includes six Pharmacycle 60L Liner Boxes, delivery of flat pack boxes, and three collections of filled boxes. Sold for $1,108.80 AUD.
- Collection Point Liner Box Refills Replacement 60L liner boxes that fit within the Pharmacycle Retail Display Cover for collecting and returning filled blister packs. Price includes nationwide delivery and collection of filled liner boxes. Sold for $181.50 AUD per set.
- Collection Point Retail Display Cover Customer-facing Pharmacycle Retail Display Cover for blister pack recycling made from durable corflute material. Used together with 60L Collection Point Liner Boxes. Sold for $93.50 AUD including delivery.
- Inhaler Recycling Collection Point 20L Pharmacycle returnable inhaler recycling bucket for collecting and returning used or expired inhalers. Accepts both Metered Dose Inhalers (MDI) and Dry Powder Inhalers (DPI). Available in single ($209.00 AUD), 2-pack, and 4-pack bundles, with nationwide delivery and collection included.
Quantifiable outcome
- 170 million blister packs recycled since July 2022
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Pharmacycle
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Pharmacycle technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Pharmacycle partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- PanelCyclecoreInnovative recycling company and founding partner of Pharmacycle. Contributed to the development and expertise in building the blister pack recycling solution.
- The Activ GroupcoreProduct stewardship experts and founding partner of Pharmacycle. Provided expertise in product stewardship program design and implementation.
- NetnadacoreCorporate sustainability software company and founding partner. Provided sustainability software and tracking capabilities for the program.
- Plastic Forests Pty LtdcoreRecycling partner that processes satchel plastic bags into wheel stops, fence posts and garden edging products. Achieves 99.9% diversion from landfill.
- Think FencingcoreAustralian manufacturer that uses recovered plastic from blister packs as input material for high-quality decking and fencing products.
- Weston AluminiumcoreUses recovered aluminium from blister packs to manufacture de-oxidant pucks for the steel making process.
- Blooms The ChemistcoreFirst pharmacy group to introduce blister pack recycling across entire network of 110+ stores nationwide. Partnership launched November 2022. Recycled 20 million blister packs in one year.
- Chemist WarehousecoreAustralia-wide blister pack recycling initiative. Partnership with Pharmacycle and Kenvue. Collection bins placed at all Australian stores. Recycled 10 million blister packs between Nov 2023 and Feb 2025.
- KenvuemajorPharmaceutical manufacturer partner in Chemist Warehouse national blister pack recycling initiative. Supports collection program with Pharmacycle.
- iNova PharmaceuticalsmajorJoined Chemist Warehouse and Pharmacycle's nationwide blister pack recycling initiative January 2026. Supports collection and specialist recycling of hard-to-recycle packaging.
- HaleonmajorPartnered with Pharmacycle for national blister pack recycling program, particularly supporting Panadol brand. Includes household mail-in recycling program launched July 2025. Complimentary recycling trial completed with Adelaide participants.
- National PharmaciesmajorPharmacyCycle program through Pharmacycle. First to recycle blister packs with over 1.3 million packs recycled and expanding community engagement.
- Greenleaf PharmaciesminorPharmacycle Initiative promoting environmentally sustainable practices within pharmacies. Focus on reducing waste and responsible disposal.
- City of Greater GeelongmajorGrant funding for Geelong Blister Pack Recycling Trial Program. Community Environmental Sustainability Projects Grant supported trial at 10 pharmacies targeting 500kg of blister packs.
- Ararat Rural City CouncilminorPartnered with Pharmacycle for blister pack recycling. Residents recycled nearly 60,000 packs (89kg) since 2022. Council promotes program at recycling drop-off events.
- Mitchell Shire CouncilminorPartnered with Pharmacycle to offer residents new recycling option for pharmaceutical blister packs in Seymour and Wallan areas.
- Bayside CouncilminorAccepting blister packs at Recycling Drop Off Events. Residents encouraged to bring empty blister packs for recycling through Pharmacycle.
- Novo NordiskminorAustralia's first injection pen recycling pilot program with Pharmacycle announced 2025. Expanding recycling scope to include injection pens.
- Monash UniversityminorSTAREE program announces medication blister packs can now be recycled through Pharmacycle. University promoting recycling to participants.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pharmacycle competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Veolia Australia and New Zealand: Global environmental services operator with significant Australian presence in waste collection, materials recovery, and recycling. A broad incumbent capable of replicating specialty recycling services like Pharmacycle's at greater scale.
- Suez Recycling and Recovery Australia: International waste and resource management company with Australian recycling operations. A broad incumbent offering materials recovery services that could expand into pharmaceutical packaging streams.
- Cleanaway Waste Management: Australia's largest waste management company offering collection, recycling, and disposal services nationally. Broad incumbent that could enter or absorb the pharmaceutical blister pack recycling segment given its logistics scale and municipal relationships.
- Bingo Industries: Australian waste and recycling operator (now part of Veolia) providing collection and resource recovery services nationally. Comparable as a broad waste-management incumbent that could vertically integrate pharmaceutical packaging recycling.
Emerging players
- Redcycle (formerly Soft Plastic Recycling): Australian soft-plastic recycling scheme that previously operated supermarket collection points. Comparable as an Australian collection-network-based plastic recycler; its 2024 collapse highlights execution risks in the specialty recycling space.
- Repurposeit: Australian social enterprise focused on recycling hard-to-recycle plastics and packaging through partnerships and drop-off programs. Comparable emerging player with similar mission and collection-network approach in Australia.
Direct peers
- TerraCycle: Global leader in hard-to-recycle waste streams with brand-partnered collection programs and specialised processing. Operates a comparable model to Pharmacycle — collecting difficult packaging through retail/drop-off points and recovering materials through proprietary processes.
- Close the Loop: Australian recycling company specialising in hard-to-recover materials including toner cartridges and complex packaging. Operates a comparable collection-plus-processing model in the same Australian geography and overlapping end markets.
- Plastic Forests: Australian recycler of soft plastics into fence posts, garden edging, and wheel stops; listed as a Pharmacycle processing partner (99.9% landfill diversion). Operates an adjacent recycling model and shares the Australian sustainability infrastructure footprint.
Regional players
- iQ Renew: Australian recycling and resource-recovery company focused on plastics and packaging circularity. Comparable as an Australian-region recycler operating in adjacent plastic recovery streams with similar end-market customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pharmacycle social profiles
Digital presencePharmacycle financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pharmacycle leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Pharmacycle funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pharmacycle M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pharmacycle
What does Pharmacycle do?
Pharmacycle operates Australia's first and only complete end-to-end recycling program for medicinal blister packs and inhalers. The company manages the full lifecycle — collection through a network of 1000+ pharmacy, hospital, council and household drop-off points; logistics; and mechanical processing at its Sydney facility where aluminium foil is separated from plastic via shredding, grinding, air-density separation, and electrostatic separation. Recovered materials are supplied to Australian manufacturers (Think Fencing, Weston Aluminium, Plastic Forests) for new product manufacturing, achieving 100% diversion from landfill.
Is Pharmacycle a public or private company?
Pharmacycle is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Pharmacycle founded?
Pharmacycle was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Pharmacycle based?
Pharmacycle is headquartered in Silverwater, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Pharmacycle make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are pharmacy Partnership Fees, council Service Fees, hospital Service Fees and manufacturer Sponsorship.
Who are Pharmacycle's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Veolia Australia and New Zealand, Suez Recycling and Recovery Australia, Cleanaway Waste Management and Bingo Industries. Emerging players are Redcycle (formerly Soft Plastic Recycling) and Repurposeit. Direct peers are TerraCycle, Close the Loop and Plastic Forests. iQ Renew is listed as a regional player.
Does Pharmacycle have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pharmacycle.
What industry is Pharmacycle in?
Pharmacycle's product category is Pharmaceutical Packaging Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIAKAA, Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply), with a secondary code of EUAIAKAM, Plastic Recycling Equipment & Technology Providers (Sorting, Washing, Extrusion). Its NAICS code is 562920.