Kingston University and Kingston Council launch project to promote safe medicine disposal

Kingston University staff and students are working on a new project with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames to help raise awareness on how to dispose of unused or expired household medicines safely.

The Let’s Dispose of Unused Medicines Safely project launches this month and will see students from Kingston’s Science Foundation Year course work with local pharmacies to inform the public on how to dispose of medication while causing minimal environmental harm.

The academic lead for the project, Dr Diyan Gunasekera, explained the importance of safely disposing of unused medicines to help protect the environment. She said: “Our students will draw upon their understanding of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) to tackle a real-world sustainability challenge. Their efforts to promote responsible medicine disposal will extend beyond the classroom, engaging directly with Kingston’s community pharmacies to create a meaningful impact.”

The project will run in three phases starting this month and concluding in May 2026. First the students will study the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals then use this learning to create sticker designs which advise people on how to dispose of medication safely.

The second phase will see four local pharmacies use the stickers on pharmacy dispense bags and the students will collect data/information on how much unused medicine is returned to the pharmacy. They will get feedback from the pharmacy users to see if they’ve found the stickers helpful.

In the final third phase the students will evaluate the feedback including student feedback and reflections on learning, and insights from participating pharmacies.

The project also aims to enhance students’ employability skills while fostering ambition and enterprise through collaboration with local businesses. This aligns with the University’s Future Skills programme and Sustainability Plan.

The project is being conducted in collaboration with Ioanna Rossi who leads on green economy strategy and activities in The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, “The project is part of an ambitious journey that Kingston Council and Kingston University are undertaking to build a circular local economy’’.

“This work goes beyond waste reduction; it's about reshaping the way our community thinks and acts. By engaging local businesses and supporting behaviour change among residents, we are creating a future where materials are continuously reused, waste is minimised, business opportunities and jobs are created, and innovation is thriving.”

An official launch event will take place for the project in November before the project is rolled out in the community. The project will also be part of an event on Developing a Circular Economy in Kingston, hosted in Town House on 20th November 2025.

· Find out more about studying Science Foundation Year at Kingston University