Novo Nordisk are a global healthcare company, founded in Denmark in 1923.
Our purpose at Novo Nordisk UK is to defeat diabetes, obesity, rare blood and hormone disorders, to improve the lives of millions of people in the UK. Today, we supply over half the world’s insulin.
Everything we do is based on acting socially, environmentally and financially responsibly with planned zero environmental impact. We call this “Circular for Zero”.
We are proud to be working together with a range of organisations
providing services in the UK healthcare sector to bring
PenCycle to life.
This information can be found on the label of your pen. If you’re unsure, you can always ask at the pharmacy.
Other medical devices, for example insulin vials, insulin pumps and pens from other companies, cannot currently be recycled as part of PenCycle, but our goal is to find an industry-wide solution. Only pre-filled Novo Nordisk pens can be returned to us in the supplied, dedicated PenCycle return box, which you can order here or pick up from participating pharmacies.
Yes, you can return your used pens if you live within the devolved nations of the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland).
Your local pharmacy will be able to confirm if they are participating in the initiative and can accept your empty pens. If not, your return box can be posted 'pre-paid' via Royal Mail.
You can drop off your PenCycle return box containing your empty pens at any participating pharmacy.
You can find more information about participating pharmacies
in the “Where
can I PenCycle?” section of this website.
No, pens can only be recycled through the PenCycle initiative. PenCycle will use existing logistics routes to minimise the environmental impact, and GP surgeries, secondary care clinics and hospital clinics are not currently part of these routes.
Every pre-filled Novo Nordisk pen returned to us through PenCycle will be recycled into useful new products, giving them new purpose. We have already established this process in Denmark, where we have shown the positive impact repurposing these materials can have:
- The plastic has gone into new furniture
- The glass has been repurposed into lamps
Every pen that is returned to us will be sent back to our specialist facility in Denmark to be recycled. This process will use existing logistics routes to minimise the environmental impact. Every shipment of pens will be tracked and recorded to make sure none of them end up in landfill or incinerated.
Usually, empty medical devices like your pen are sent to landfill or destroyed as hazardous waste through incineration. The plastic in your pen is not biodegradable, so it could lie in landfill for hundreds of years. Incineration uses a lot of energy, produces gases that are harmful to the environment, and also leaves some plastic waste behind. By PenCycling, you are making sure your pen is repurposed to create useful new products rather than going to waste.
Yes. These are made from recyclable materials and will be recycled as part of the PenCycle process.
No. Pharmacists are getting involved in the initiative for many of the same reasons as you: to help support the sustainable use of earth's resources and protect the environment for future generations. They will not receive any money to collect pens.
