It follows a successful pilot of the Novo Nordisk PenCycle recycling scheme, which first launched in November 2021 with the aim of rolling out to more pharmacies within a year.
Boots was part of the initial pilot scheme, and has this month extended it to all branches across the UK, a Novo Nordisk spokesperson told C+D.
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However, the pharmaceutical company is also continuing to work with Lloydspharmacy, Rowlands, and independent pharmacies to continue to roll out the scheme nationally, the spokesperson added.
At present, 2,500 pharmacies are signed up to the scheme, but Novo Nordisk hopes that a further 1,000 pharmacies will have come on board by the end of the year, it said.
Boots, Lloydspharmacy and Rowlands have been approached for comment.
What is PenCycle?
PenCycle is a permanent scheme that forms part of Novo Novo Nordisk’s “sustainability ambition”, a spokesperson clarified.
“By recycling pens, we can all do our part to give empty pens new purpose while reducing landfill and advancing the sustainability agenda for community pharmacy,” they added.
Insulin pens can also be returned to Novo Nordisk via Royal Mail, while growth hormone therapy pens can be returned via Alcura homecare collections.
Read more: ‘No resources’ to fund recycling scheme, leaving pharmacies footing the bill
Participating pharmacies can order free materials via Alliance Healthcare. These include PenCycle return boxes – which patients can use to collect their used pens at home – and a PenCycle recycling bin for collecting return boxes.
Once returned to Novo Nordisk, up to 85% of each pen will be “recycled and repurposed”, and the recycled materials could be used to create “useful things such as chairs, lamps and other glassware”, the company said.
Novo Nordisk estimates that more than 12,000 insulin, obesity and growth hormone therapy pens were recycled across Greater Manchester, Leicestershire and Rutland, and Greater Glasgow and Clyde in the pilot scheme.