Insulet’s Eco-Pod Program

While disposable pumps may be the future of insulin pumping, many OmniPod users can’t help but envision the mountains of Pods crowding our landfills in years to come. In steps Insulet – in response to customer feedback, the company recently launched the Eco-Pod program, designed to reduce the environmental impact of disposed Pods. Every three months, registered participants receive a pre-paid, pre-addressed bi0-hazard shipping envelope in which to return their used Pods to Insulet. The company then puts the Pods through a complex recycling process, in which the Pods are disassembled, the batteries are broken down, and the precious metals are reclaimed and sold to help recover recycling costs. The remaining Pod casings are then pulverized to reduce their volume before being sent to a landfill. As used Pods are actually classified as both biohazards and medical waste, no components are reused.

While Insulet covers the costs of the disposal process, users are asked to cover shipping costs, which amount to about $3 a month. Once registered, a Pod Disposal Kit is included with each Pod re-order. We certainly support Insulet’s efforts to “go green” – to enroll, contact Insulet’s Customer Care Team at 1-800-591-3455.