A new study in Portugal asked people with diabetes how concerned they are about diabetes waste and what might help reduce the impact of diabetes on the environment
“[We need] devices and packaging that are made from materials that can be recycled—I have more waste from my diabetes management than from other sources” says one Australian adult living with type 1 diabetes. Quote sourced from our Australian Diabetes Research Matters Study.
Have you ever thought about the environmental impact of diabetes? Insulin pumps and pens, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), finger-prick monitoring devices, and more – just some of the life-saving ‘diabetes stuff’ vital for many people living with diabetes. However, diabetes medications, devices, and their packaging are often hard to recycle, creating environmental waste. Use of an insulin pump, CGM, and blood glucose monitor can generate 1.2kg of waste per person, per month. But how much of a concern is environmental waste for people living with diabetes?
A study in Portugal asked people with diabetes what they think and do about diabetes waste. People from a hospital outpatient clinic, with any type of diabetes and who were taking insulin, were invited to take part. A member of the research team asked participants about:
-
-
- How concerned they were about the environmental impact of diabetes,
-
-
-
- Whether they had talked to their diabetes care team about disposal of diabetes supplies, and
-
-
-
- What could be done to lessen the environmental impact of diabetes.
-
The researchers also collected information about the participants, including their glucose data.
Who took part?
A total of 285 people took part in the study. The average age of participants was 43 years, and the average duration living with diabetes was 18 years. 77% of participants were living with type 1 diabetes, and 22% were living with type 2 diabetes. 75% of participants were using CGM or flash glucose monitoring. 39% were using an insulin pump, and 50% were using a prefilled insulin pen.
What did participants say about diabetes and environmental sustainability?
The study found almost 9 out of 10 participants had some level of concern about the environmental impact of diabetes. Females were three times more likely to show higher concern than males. People using insulin pumps also showed more concern. Age, employment, diabetes duration, type of diabetes, glucose levels, or type of glucose monitoring were not linked to level of concern.
Almost half (48%) of participants said they had put diabetes waste (including needles and lancets) into household waste. Most participants (62%) said the environmental impact of diabetes had never been discussed by their healthcare team.
The researchers also asked people for their ideas about improving the impact of diabetes on the environment. Almost all participants (97%) supported a call for health policies to reduce diabetes waste. 86% of people said public collection points for diabetes devices and supplies should be available. 63% said they would like to see longer-lasting CGM and flash monitoring sensors.
What do the results mean?
The results show that environmental sustainability is on the minds of many people living with diabetes. But, improper waste disposal is common. This may be because waste disposal is not a common topic of discussion in diabetes care. It could also be because waste or recycling points are not locally available. People with diabetes overwhelmingly support the need for more sustainable diabetes treatment and technology products.
In Australia
Our Diabetes Research Matters study explored research priorities for people living with diabetes in Australia. In type 1 diabetes, the number one priority was:
How can diabetes technologies be improved to make diabetes management easier, more effective, more accessible, better integrated with other devices, and/or more environmentally friendly.
Together, these studies call for greater discussion of diabetes waste in health care as well as research and innovation to address this environmental issue. It would be interesting to see research on this topic in Australia, as waste disposal systems would differ to those overseas. The development of longer-lasting CGMs may also be one way to lessen the environmental impact of diabetes.
Reference
Lopes V, Carvalho D, Sousa Lages A. Green diabetes project: A comprehensive characterization of sustainable diabetes practices. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2025 May 2:112208. doi: 10.1016/j.diabres.2025.112208.
Print This Post