PenCycle

[CivicFreak]

This is a good thing.

Went to my pharmacist to pick up my prescription for my NovoRapid a few days ago and noticed a poster for something called PenCycle - this is an initiative set up by Novo Nordisk to take empty insulin pens for recycling. I asked about it at my pharmacy and they gave me a box to put my empty pens in, then when it's full (maximum 12 pens) they can either be brought back to the pharmacy or posted back (they have a prepaid return label already on the box) through Royal Mail. Can just get another box when taking the full box back for recycling.

This is something I've been really wanting for some time, as I never liked the idea of just throwing my used pens in the bin. At the moment it's just for Novo Nordisk pens but hopefully other manufacturers will do something similar, if they don't already.

 

[Proud to be erratic]

An even better alternative is to move onto reusable pens. Then the bit that needs replenishing and recycling is the disposable cartridge that goes inside the reusable pen. The environment wins; you win because cartridges need a lot less space in your fridge (luggage if travelling) and the NovoEcho recyclable pens come with an end cap that records your last dose and when you last injected - particularly helpful for those "did I or didn't I?" moments.

You'll need 3 reusable pens, 1 for basal, 1 for bolus and the 3rd as a contingency if either reusable pen should fail (but they seem very reliable and robust). In extremis you could get away with just one pen and keep swopping cartridges over, until the failed pen was replaced, but this is not a practical option. The NovoEcho pens came in 2 colours, red and blue (rapid and basal?) and I've put a couple of tactile stickies (gold stars!) on my basal pen, just to reinforce the difference.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

This is something I've been really wanting for some time, as I never liked the idea of just throwing my used pens in the bin. At the moment it's just for Novo Nordisk pens but hopefully other manufacturers will do something similar, if they don't already.

I'll also recommend the reusable pens. Novopen Echo Plus offers half units, if that's useful to you. (If you want to inject more than 30u at a time the Novopen 6 might be better.) Each comes in two colours, and have a nice solid feel (being made mostly in metal, and designed to last 4-5 years).

They also remember the last dose and time since that dose (and I think older doses, with the right software on your phone). Abbott have said they expect to release a LibreLink update this year that'll scan the pens and there's other software that can read them.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Having said that, it's also good that they're recycling the disposable pens. Long overdue.

 

[Mousey]

Can also order through their website, for people whos local pharmacy isn't part of the scheme.

How can I PenCycle? | PenCycle

This Novo Nordisk site is intended for UK people on diabetes or weight management treatment. Learn more on how to recycle your pens through PenCycle.

www.pen-cycle.co.uk

 

[rebrascora]

There is another recent post discussing this recycling system but I too would encourage reuseable pens as I really can't see how these single use pens are environmentally friendly bearing in mind they are now needing boxes to recycle them and extra postage and transporting them around the world for recycling and then how much actually gets recycled and how much still goes to landfill and the energy resources to recycle them. I appreciate that a minority of people will struggle with reuseable pens for a variety of reasons, but the majority of Type 1s certainly should be supplied with them as standard and should certainly ask for them if they are not offered them.