Pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has rolled out its injection pen recycling scheme across the UK and is calling on pharmacies to take part.

The initiative, known as PenCycle, provides people with three options to ensure pre-filled injection pens used for diabetes, obesity and growth disorders are recycled. 

Used pens may be dropped off at pharmacies that have signed up to the scheme, put in the post or, for people on growth hormone treatments, they can be collected from their homes.

Novo Nordisk said pharmacies can sign up to the scheme for free. It went nationwide after a successful pilot last year in which over 15,000 pens were recycled in Greater Manchester, Leicestershire and Rutland, Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

The company said “up to 85 per cent of the materials in every pen returned” to it is recycled. That, it said, will prevent “up to 12 tonnes of plastic waste by the end of 2023".

"As a circular initiative, the pens will be returned to Denmark on the same boat that drops the pens off and the plastic will then be recycled into a range of items such as chairs, lamps and other glassware," Novo Nordisk said. 

Partners of the scheme include Alliance Healthcare, Alcura UK, Boots pharmacies, LloydsPharmacy, Royal Mail and the National Pharmacy Association.

Novo Nordisk said 2,500 pharmacies are taking part in the scheme at the moment and another 1,000 are expected to sign up by the end of the year. The scheme is part of Novo Nordisk’s wider environmental strategy to have zero carbon dioxide emissions from its operations and transportation by 2030.

The company said its “UK business is already moving their entire fleet of cars to electric/hybrid, whilst working with all suppliers to ensure they use 100 per cent renewable power".

Pictured is Novo Nordisk's headquarters in Fremont, California.