Ozempic and Wegovy Sharps Containers

The removable needle does. But the empty pen does not automatically belong in the same sharps container.

Current Ozempic and Wegovy instructions tell users to remove the needle immediately after each injection and dispose of the needle safely. The empty pen should then be disposed of without the needle, according to your local waste collection route.

For businesses, unused or expired pens that still contain medicine may need a pharmaceutical waste route rather than simply being placed in a sharps bin. Tell us whether the device is empty, contains medicine or still has a needle attached, and we’ll confirm the appropriate collection stream.

Medication injection pens such as those produced by brands including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Saxenda, and Novo Nordisk require responsible disposal after use. These are a type of medical waste and must be disposed of in sharps containers after use or expiration.

They must not be thrown away with general waste as they could end up in landfill and pose health and environmental hazards. Each pen contains a needle, plastic casing, and metal components. Improper disposal could lead to a spread of disease and infection while the plastic and metal parts take hundreds of years to decompose in landfill.

Any needles from the medication pens are normally incinerated to destroy the risks of infection. Sometimes the entire pen might be incinerated for safety too, but there are some takeback schemes in place for recycling. Currently, Novo Nordisk offers a recycling takeback service where empty pens (with the needle removed) are returned and the plastic and metal parts recycled.

Pharmacies and healthcare facilities can provide boxes for patients and individuals to return relevant empty medication pens. This can help improve recycling rates as millions are used each year in the UK. The needles must always be stored and disposed of in appropriate sharps containers though.

Tell us how many sharps containers your organisation produces, the sizes required, collection frequency and business location. We’ll provide a quote based on the service.

See how much it could cost your business for sharps bins and containers if you need to dispose of any types of medication injection pens. We can provide a free tailored quote based on your specific requirements. This includes the number and sizes of sharps bins, the frequency of collections, and your location.

There are no delivery or hire fees for sharps containers – you only pay for collection. Daily, weekly, and fortnightly collections are possible, so you can combine suitable bins with a removal frequency for cost-effective waste management. You receive a free duty of care certificate for added peace of mind too.