Cutting waste

Pharmaceutical companies are committed to reducing operational waste from their sites, as well as reducing waste from the packaging of products. This can involve increasing recycling, replacing paper-based patient information leaflets with online versions, and increasing the recycled content in packaging.

Reducing waste from packaging is one of the biggest challenges our industry faces, and industry is working to solve it by working with regulators and Governments, and investing in research and new technologies.

Novo Nordisk

Every year, the UK uses over 23 million injection pens, creating 400 tonnes of plastic waste. Novo Nordisk has launched PenCycle, a first-of-its-kind, free, recycling initiative that allows people from across the country to recycle their injection pens. Over 15,000 insulin, obesity and growth hormone therapy pens were recycled in a pilot scheme launched across Greater Manchester, Leicestershire & Rutland and Greater Glasgow & Clyde, and now the scheme is nationwide.

Thanks to the scheme, injection pens used for diabetes and obesity management can be returned to participating pharmacies, or in the post. The pens are sent to a recycling centre in Denmark, using existing shipping routes to minimise the environmental impact. These recycled materials are turned into new and useful things, such as chairs, glasses, vases and lamps.