Medicine leaflets under the lens: safe disposal or missed message? Advancing education for a sustainable future

Around £90 million worth of unused medicines are stored in UK homes, with many ending up in landfill or polluting waterways (BBC News, 2023). Launched in 2025, this pilot project evaluated the inclusion and quality of safe medicine disposal guidance in the leaflets of over-the-counter (OTC) household pain relief medicines and cold, flu, and sore throat remedies. Medicine leaflets from these products purchased at high-street retailers in the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames were analysed to determine whether clear guidance on the environmentally safe disposal of unused or expired medicines was provided.