Going Green with your Inhalers
Your little action can have a big impact on our environment
This page provides some education around managing your respiratory condition and reducing the carbon footprint of your inhaler treatment.
Climate change and health
The climate crisis is a health crisis. Healthcare is not only affected by the climate emergency, but is also contributing towards it.
The NHS has committed to becoming the world’s first health service to reaching carbon net zero in response to the growing threat to health posed by climate change.
Carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by our actions.
Carbon net zero means cutting down these emissions from items such as inhalers, and balancing out any remaining emissions by helping the environment. By choosing more eco-friendly inhalers, you can support towards a healthier planet.
Ensuring that your lung condition is well managed, will not only make you feel better but it will also have a positive impact on the environment. The best thing you can do for the environment is to keep your asthma/COPD under control.
If your asthma is well controlled you will be symptom free or have very few symptoms. You will only rarely need to use your reliever inhaler.
Your asthma may not be well controlled if you are using your reliever inhaler three or more times a week or if you are using three or more reliever inhalers in one year or if you are experiencing asthma attacks. If you are experiencing any of the above then please book an appointment with your practitioner.
You can monitor your respiratory symptoms using the Asthma or COPD hub apps, and see your practitioner if your respiratory condition is not controlled.
The Asthma and COPD hub apps have been developed to help support you with your condition.
Go here to get more information on the All Wales Adult Asthma Management and Prescribing Guidelines
Go here to get more information on the All Wales COPD Management and Prescribing Guidelines
Insert link to the parent’s asthma hub app for children
There are a variety of inhalers available to help treat your asthma/COPD. The main priority is to find an inhaler that best meets your needs and that you can use effectively.
Dry powder inhalers (DPIs)
DPIs do not contain propellant gases, instead they are breath actuated, meaning the medication is released when you breathe in. These devices require you to breathe in quickly and deeply and most patients find DPIs easier to use than pMDIs.
DPIs contain dry powder with no propellant or added carrier, making them much safer for the environment. Your healthcare practitioner can assess if you are able to use a DPI correctly. Most people are able to use DPIs effectively, however some older people and some children under six may not be able to breathe deeply enough to use this device effectively.
You can discuss if a dry powder inhaler is suitable for you as your next asthma/COPD review. For some people, it may take time to find the right DPI, as there are many different types available. Speak with your healthcare practitioner, so they can help you or find a better alternative.
Soft mist inhalers (SMIs)
SMIs produce a fine, slow-moving mist that improves the delivery of medicine to your airways. You do not need to be able to breathe in deeply to use, instead these inhalers require a slow gentle inspiration.
SMIs turn red when they are almost empty and lock themselves after all the medicine has been used.
The SMI device can usually be refilled with cartridges containing the medication.
Pressurised Metered dose inhalers (pMDIs)
pMDIs hold medication in a pressurised canister. They require a slow, steady inhalation and should always be used with a spacer device. This is because the technique to use pMDIs can be hard to get right. A spacer ensures that the medicine reaches your airways.
These inhalers contain propellant gases to deliver medicine to the airways. These propellants are powerful greenhouse gases, which are released into the environment and are contributing to climate change. The greenhouse gases within pMDIs are estimated to be responsible for 3.5% of the entire NHS carbon footprint.
Poor inhaler technique can result in poor control of your lung condition, and can negatively impact the environment.
The videos in the link below demonstrate how to use different inhalers and can be useful to check your technique.
If you have concern about your technique, speak to your health practitioner.
Go here for a video from Asthma and Lung UK containing useful tips to use your inhaler properly.
The NHS in Wales spends more than £74 million on inhalers each year, so it is important that people only order the inhalers they need.
Wasted inhalers not only cost money but are also harmful to the environment.
They will dispose of inhalers in an environmentally friendly way.
Inhalers that are not returned to a pharmacy end up in landfill where they continue to seep harmful greenhouse gases into the environment.
Inhalers cannot be recycled in household waste.
Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth a galwadau ffôn yn y Gymraeg neu'r Saesneg. Atebir gohebiaeth Gymraeg yn y Gymraeg, ac ni fydd hyn yn arwain at oedi. Mae’r dudalen hon ar gael yn Gymraeg drwy bwyso’r botwm ar y dde ar frig y dudalen.
We welcome correspondence and telephone calls in Welsh or English. Welsh language correspondence will be replied to in Welsh, and this will not lead to a delay. This page is available in Welsh by clicking ‘Cymraeg’ at the top right of this page.