ASTHMATICS in Southampton will be among the first in Europe to divert millions of inhalers from the rubbish tip. The Co-operative Pharmacy in Thornhill is one of a handful of chemists to take part in a pilot scheme encouraging people to recycle their inhalers. The six-month trial is the first of its kind in Europe and aims to reduce the number of respiratory devices that generate around 450 tonnes of waste a year in the UK. Those suffering from respiratory illnesses will be able to just drop off their devices in a specially designed recycling box at the pharmacy, which will be collected every month to ensure every element of the inhaler is recycled. The initiative was launched today by The Co-operative and GlaxoSmith Kline (GSK), which sees 35m of their inhalers end up in landfill every year. Fiona Caplan-Dean, from The Co-operative Pharmacy, said: “There are more than five million people in the UK currently receiving treatment for asthma and other respiratory illnesses who rely on the use of inhalers so the potential for recycling these products and reducing wastage is huge. “Pharmacists are ideally placed to help reduce the impact of inhalers on the environment and as an organisation committed to responsible retailing as part of our ethical strategy we are delighted to be at the forefront of this initiative, which is simple, yet effective.”