Australia Launches Medical Injection Pen Recycling Trial
06 Apr 2026
Patients in Sydney will soon be able to recycle their used medical injection pens instead of throwing them in the rubbish.
The new ReMed program by Novo Nordisk lets people return their used, disposable injection pens at selected pharmacies, including TerryWhite Chemmart, as well as at Royal North Shore Hospital and St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney.
The trial, launching later this year, will test how the collection, transport, and recycling of the pens can work in Australia. Millions of used pens currently end up in landfill, so the program aims to reduce medical waste and make healthcare more sustainable.
Michelle Isles, Chief Executive of the Climate and Health Alliance, said: ‘This Australia-first initiative shows how collaboration can help tackle the plastics and waste crisis in our health system.’
The program is already running successfully in countries like Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Brazil, and the UK. Elin Jäger from Novo Nordisk said expanding it to Australia is ‘an important step in reducing the impact of medical waste’ and creating a more circular, sustainable healthcare system.
The trial follows a Memorandum of Understanding between Novo Nordisk, Pharmacycle, TerryWhite Chemmart, Northern Sydney Local Health District, and St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney.
https://www1.racgp.org.au/
Source: Novo Nordisk / news release