Do Weight Loss Drugs Have a Plastic-Free Future?
As obesity rates rise across the globe, weight loss drugs have surged in demand to combat the disease. The anti-obesity drug market is set to grow from $6.15 billion in 2024 to $37.94 billion by 2032.
More and more people are becoming aware of their effectiveness in weight loss and are seeking to use them for obesity treatment and to improve health. However, with the growing number of people using weight loss drugs, especially GLP-1 medications like Wegovy or Zepbound, there’s an increasing concern about the waste they produce. Plastic has become ubiquitous in the supply chain, from raw material sourcing to distribution and disposal.
For those looking to reduce their environmental impact while also watching their health, weight loss drugs present a challenge for sustainability. Innovations in the landscape may be promising for waste reduction but are still in development.
Here’s a closer look at the potential for a plastic-free future in weight loss drugs:
What are GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs?
Drugs like Wegovy and Saxenda are considered GLP-1 agonists. These drugs mimic a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), which is produced in the gut and boosts the amount of insulin produced to control blood sugar, making them blockbusters for diabetes management. Using GLP-1 for weight loss for patients struggling with obesity also showcases effective results. The GLP-1 medications help control blood sugar after eating and tell the brain to slow stomach emptying so users feel fuller for longer. This helps limit food and calorie intake to facilitate weight loss. People taking these medications can lose an average of 15% body fat, provided they’re taken with a healthy lifestyle plan.
These drugs are administered through single-use injections on a weekly or even daily basis, depending on the drug. Staying on the medication for a long period is also essential for effective weight loss. However, this challenges sustainability, as the delivery method and the growing number of users globally can increase waste.
Related: Embracing Motherhood Sustainably with a Plastic-Free Pregnancy Test!
Current Sustainability Efforts
As the use of weight loss drugs grows, pharmaceutical companies are taking measures to address waste from single-use pens. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly — manufacturers of Wegovy and Zepbound, respectively — have launched recycling programs for used injection pens, including for GLP-1 drugs. After use, patients can throw away these injections at certain pharmacies when they pick up their next prescription. These injection pens can also be rid of through a mail-back disposal program. This allows the pens to avoid reaching landfills so they can be repurposed instead of disposed of.
These recycling programs are still limited to a handful of locations, but patients can also take measures to ensure these pens are disposed of properly. Depending on a patient’s location, there may be local guidelines on how to throw away the pens. This typically involves putting them in a heavy-duty plastic container that indicates it’s full of hazardous waste so it can be disposed of correctly.
Related: Plastic-Free Blister Pack: A Sustainable Packaging Solution
Is There a Plastic-free Future for Weight Loss Drugs?
In the current weight loss drug landscape, ensuring plastic-free delivery is still a major challenge that many pharmaceuticals are working on. Due to specific chemical structures, these medications may necessitate plastic components in their manufacturing processes. Using the injection pens only once is also essential to prevent infection and pain, and the pens already contain a preset dose, so they cannot be reused. This makes it much harder to develop reusable options for drug delivery, which would help cut down waste. Plastic materials are even required for safe disposal.
Recycling programs are currently the primary way people can ensure the waste from their weight loss drugs is repurposed to avoid massive amounts of plastic waste. Pharmaceutical companies should work on increasing people’s access to these programs and expanding them globally so more used pens can be recycled instead of tossed, as only a small percentage of these are recycled.
New innovations in weight loss drugs are also in development, which can make the medications easier to take and easier to recycle. GLP-1 weight loss pills that can be taken orally may help cut down plastic waste produced by the injection pens. Companies have already begun the race to bring these pills to the market, and many are seeing positive results from trials. However, these are still being worked on, and while they’re rapidly advancing, it may take time for them to see them on pharmacy shelves. There’s also the issue of plastic packaging, like blister packs and protective coverings, which are necessary for maintaining drug integrity and sterility.
Related: How to Improve the Recyclability of Caps and Closures
Conclusion
If you’re taking GLP-1 weight loss drugs, plastic may currently be an unavoidable part of the journey. However, with the advancement of new delivery methods, recycling programs, and innovations in sustainable materials, there may be a future where these drugs can be more environmentally friendly. In the meantime, you can focus on reducing plastic in your everyday life where possible, such as avoiding single-use plastic bottles and containers, using reusable items, supporting plastic-free initiatives, and more.
