Around the world, millions of people with serious chronic diseases depend on medical devices. Once used, many of these devices end up in landfills or are incinerated, wasting tonnes of valuable materials that could be recycled. 

As the number of people who rely on our medicines increases, so does our obligation to help address the related environmental challenges – including plastic waste and the use of resources. All medical injection pen projects are measured and evaluated on four circularity KPIs: carbon footprint, plastic footprint, non-virgin-fossil plastic content and recyclability. 

One way we address our challenges is to reduce single-use pens and replacing them with reusable devices that have a longer lifespan. But we are also working on new solutions to take back, recycle, and limit the number of pens becoming waste through ReMed. Just like we are working to discover new ways of making plastic that is not fossil-based to reduce the associated CO2 emissions.  

We have committed to reaching net zero CO2 emissions in 2045 across our full value chain. To get there, we must do our part to minimise the use of fossil-based plastic and embrace a circular mindset.  

Innovating lower-carbon plastic
We are working to reduce our consumption of plastic and change the plastics we use from conventional plastic to non-virgin fossil types. 

We are exploring plastics based on e-methanol made from renewable energy, water and biogenic CO2 from the world’s first large-scale commercial e-methanol facility, Kassø. By investing in Kassø together with other like-minded partners, we seek new innovative ways of lowering our carbon emissions associated with our plastic consumption.  

ReMed® – the Novo Nordisk take-back programme
We’re also finding new ways to avoid waste by turning it into something useful again. ReMed™ is an innovative testament to that commitment.  

Since 2020 Novo Nordisk has explored ways to rethink and change our linear business model from producing products by consuming resources and discharging waste to a circular model where we turn our plastic waste into new resources. 

One of our efforts to introduce circular economy was previously known as the TakeBack programme – in 2023 we re-named this to ReMed® to enable us to communicate about this with a vision of pioneering an industry solution where

• Our take-back programme for used injection pens is currently active in 7 markets including Brazil, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Denmark. 

• More than 500 pharmacies in Denmark are today supporting returpen™ and delivering an average return rate of 37% (12 mths average by July 2025).

• In Denmark we have established an eco-system with 8 pharmaceutical companies in close collaboration with pharmacies, patient organisations, distributors and a dedicated recycling partner. 

• Circular economy calls for collaboration and ReMed™ unites organisations across the industry and value chain. 

• More than 5 million injection pens have been returned to pharmacies globally.  

• Recycling rate for returned pens in Denmark increased from 50% in early 2024 to 70% by end of 2024. 

• Effectiveness is tracked through monitoring return rates across markets in scope.  

• We work continuously on making patients, society and partners aware of the scheme to drive up return rates and increase recycled volumes. 

• Industrial partnership established in Denmark 2024 to buy e-methanol to produce a lower-carbon alternative to one of Novo Nordisk’s top two plastic types. Production is expected to start in 2025.