How to Dispose of an Ozempic Pen
Around 20 million people were prescribed Ozempic in the USA in 2023, according to the British Pharmacological Society. This was an increase of 5,000% over five years. In England, it’s estimated around 120,000 patients were prescribed Ozempic in 2023, but one report claims 500,000 people in the UK may be using GLP-1 drugs including those purchasing them privately.
The rise in the use of Ozempic and other brands of GLP-1 pens in the UK and around the world is generating high levels of problematic waste. It’s estimated that 23 million medical pens are incinerated or landfilled every year. These injectable medications are designed for easy application but once used they become waste, which has a significant environmental impact – especially if disposed of incorrectly.
Any type of medication injection pen must be disposed of safely and responsibly to reduce health hazards and environmental risks. Individuals and businesses can play their part to dispose of GLP-1 pens responsibly. Use this guide to understand how to dispose of an Ozempic pen properly from your home or business.
How to dispose of an
empty Ozempic pen
Responsible disposal of Ozempic pens reduces the risk of exposure to this medical waste, which could spread infection and disease to anyone who comes into contact with it. Therefore, the needle must be disposed of as clinical waste while the metal and plastic components might be recycled.
You must not dispose of an Ozempic pen or any other GLP-1 pens in your general waste bin at home or work. This could put those who handle waste at risk and mean the pens end up in landfill, where the plastic and metal materials of the pens can take hundreds of years to break down.
To dispose of an empty Ozempic pen:
- Ensure the Ozempic pen is empty of all medication and remove the needle.
- Put the needle in a sharps bin or container. Check with your local council or pharmacy if they have or provide sharps bins for you to use at home.
- Businesses can get sharps bins for their premises and dispose of the needles in these.
- If you don’t have a sharps bin at home, you can use a puncture-resistant container instead. An empty coffee tin or detergent bottle with a lid is an alternative.
- Check with your local council or authority for how to dispose of this sharps waste. They might provide a free collection service, or you may have to take it to your local household waste recycling centre (HWRC) or another disposal site.
- You can also see if your local pharmacy or healthcare centre accepts used Ozempic pens. Ask if they take back the entire pen (including the plastic case and metal components) for recycling too.
Where can you dispose
of Ozempic pens?
There are a few places where you might be able to dispose of Ozempic pens and other medication injection pens:
- Council collections – Some councils in England and Wales provide a medical waste collection service from homes in their constituencies. This service can include the removal and disposal of sharps including Ozempic pens. There may be a charge for the collection in some cases. See if your council offers it and request clinical waste collection from your home on the UK government website.
- Pharmacies – Various pharmacies offer takeback schemes for used Ozempic and other GLP-1 pens. Check if any pharmacies in your area offer the service. If they do, return your used Ozempic pens in a puncture-proof container for disposal. You can also check if any nearby healthcare facilities also accept them.
- Boots – Participating Boots pharmacies offer a recycling scheme for Novo Nordisk pens. You can get a free PenCycle return box and fill it with up to 12 empty Novo Nordisk pens (with the needle removed). Then return it to Boots or post it for free to Novo Nordisk and the pens should be recycled.
How to dispose of an
unused Ozempic pen
Unused Ozempic pens should be disposed of in the same way as empty and used ones. Even if the Ozempic pen is completely unused and hasn’t been tampered with it shouldn’t be used by anyone else due to potential safety issues. The best option is to return it to the pharmacy where it was prescribed or purchased.
How to dispose of GLP-1 pens
as a business
Businesses such as pharmacies, hospitals, healthcare centres, care homes, and even some shops may all produce used and unused GLP-1 pens that require responsible disposal. This classifies as commercial medical waste whether the pens are used and thrown away by customers, patients, employees, or anyone else. Therefore, you must arrange commercial waste collection of such waste.
Have yellow-lidded sharps bins in your business to segregate used GLP-1 pens from other rubbish and store them securely. We can provide appropriate sharps bins and containers for your business to manage waste Ozempic and GLP-1 pens responsibly. These are available in various sizes to suit your space and the volume of waste produced.
Then arrange removal of these sharps bins by licensed waste carriers. It’s essential that you receive a duty of care certificate or waste transfer note for the removal of your sharps waste. This confirms the safe, legal, and responsible collection, transportation, and disposal of the GLP-1 pens. At Business Waste, we can help with all your commercial medical waste collection needs.
Do you need a sharps container for Ozempic?
If your business needs sharps containers and bins for Ozempic and other medication injection pens, then at Business Waste we can help. Save money with free sharps containers for Ozempic and other GLP-1 pens. There are no delivery or hire costs – you only pay for collection.
Book collection on a daily, weekly, or fortnightly schedule to suit your needs. All sharps bins are removed by licensed waste carriers and taken to appropriate waste management facilities for disposal away from landfill. You receive a free duty of care certificate that offers proof and peace of mind too.
Speak to one of our friendly and expert team to learn how we can help with Ozempic pen disposal from your business, whether you run a pharmacy, shop, healthcare facility, or any other organisation. Get a free quote for sharps bins anywhere in the UK today – call 0800 211 8390 or contact us online.
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