Eco-Friendly Disposal FAQs

 

• What is OmniPod’s Eco-Pod Program?

• OmniPod’s Eco-Pod Program is the industry’s first program for the eco-friendly disposal of insulin pump components. Designed to reduce landfill and take hazardous waste right out of the waste stream, the program is a revolutionary step in the diabetes marketplace.
  
  Every three months program participants return their used Pods in a convenient pre-paid, pre-addressed shipping envelope provided by the program. Following procedures for medical waste, the Pods are disassembled and metals are removed and recycled. The remaining components are then pulverized, greatly reducing the volume of materials that are land-filled.
  
  Insulet handles any costs associated with the disposal process, although you are asked to cover shipping at a specially negotiated discount rate of $8 per shipment.

   

• How do I sign up for the Eco-Pod Program?

• Call our Customer Care Team at 800.591.3455 and choosing prompt 2. Once you are enrolled, a Pod Disposal Kit will be sent in your next shipment.

   

• Why does Insulet offer the Eco-Pod Program?

• Insulet feels it is our corporate duty to help the environment any way we can. We want to offer our customers an environmentally-friendly way to dispose of their Pods, and to prevent hazardous waste from unnecessarily entering our landfills.

   

• Why is it important to recycle Pods?

• Every Pod contains batteries—and placed in a landfill, metals inside those batteries will eventually leak out, leaching into the groundwater. Recycling batteries is far more complex than recycling soda cans or newspapers, but it’s well worth the extra effort because of its positive impact on the environment.

   

• How are the Pods disposed of?

• Pods are classified both as medical waste and as hazardous waste because they contain batteries, which have toxic chemicals. As such, Pod disposal is a complex, multi-part process. First, the Pods are disassembled. The batteries are then retorted and pulverized, and metals are reclaimed. Finally the battery remains and Pod casings are pulverized, greatly reducing their volume, before being sent to a landfill.

   

• Are Pods reused?

• The Pods are never reused. They are taken apart, metals are then reclaimed, and the rest of the components are ground down to minimize their landfill impact.

   

• Are the batteries reused?

• The batteries are not reused. They are retorted, a process in which the metal is boiled off and condensed, metals are then reclaimed, and the rest of the components are ground down to minimize their landfill impact.

   

• Does Insulet make money on the recycled Pods?

• Insulet does not make money from the Eco-Pod Program. Recycling hazardous materials is a complex—and therefore costly—endeavor which Insulet subsidizes in its entirety. The value of the metals recovered from used Pods barely offsets the costs to Insulet of the overall process. Insulet does not reuse any materials, nor does the company receive tax incentives or other financial benefits from the process.

   

• Why do I have to pay for shipping? Other companies cover shipping costs.

• Insulet is dedicated to keeping the Pod’s hazardous waste out of our nation’s landfills. However, the value of the recovered metals just offsets costs for the complex processing of hazardous waste; it is insufficient to cover shipping costs. As a small, highly focused company, any added costs we incur would have to be taken from research and development monies or else passed on to our customers. We feel it is better to ask program participants to help directly, by paying for the shipping, rather than raise the cost for all our customers.

   

• Will my insurance company reimburse the shipping costs?

• No insurance plans reimburse disposal costs for your insulin delivery supplies: that is why Insulet has taken on the expenses of running the Eco-Pod Program and asks program participants to help directly by paying for shipping.

   

• Does this program increase the cost of the Pod?

• This program will in no way increase the cost of the Pod. The value of the recovered metals does offset the costs for the complex processing of hazardous waste.

   

• Can I return used Pods via the USPS?

• The United States Postal Service does not accept hazardous materials for shipment. You must return the Pods using the Pod Disposal Kit provided.

   

• Can a defective Pod be recycled? Do I need to identify it specifically?

• Defective Pods should be returned to Insulet for inspection. Call our Customer Care Team at 800.591.3455 to order a Pod Return Kit. Any returns sent to Insulet will also be recycled once we have finished testing the defective Pods.

   

• How many Pods can be returned at once?

• You can return up to 50 Pods at once, though most people return a shipment of Pods (30) each time. If you have more than 50 Pods to return, please call Customer Care at 800.591.3455 and choose prompt 2 to order an additional kit.

   

• What if I lose my Pod Disposal Kit?

• If you misplace your Pod Disposal Kit, please call Customer Care at 800.591.3455 and choose prompt 2. A new Kit will be sent to you for a $5 shipping and handling fee.

   

• Can I just put the Pod in with other household recycling?

• Used Pods are considered medical waste and CANNOT be added to the household recycling. US regulations require controlled disposal of devices such as insulin pumps, thus you should dispose of Pods in accordance with federal, state and your local regulations.

   

• What materials are in the external Pod cover pieces? Can they go in household recycling?

• Pods are classified as medical waste and should not be placed in general household recycling. US regulations require controlled disposal of devices such as insulin pumps, thus you should dispose of Pods in accordance with federal, state and your local regulations.

   

• Can I recycle the syringes?

• Only Pods can be processed, so please DO NOT return your syringes. Syringes cannot be recycled or otherwise reclaimed, and if they are sent in the Pod Disposal Kit they will prevent the Pods from being processed. Syringes should be placed in a sharps container and disposed of according to local waste disposal regulations. You can obtain local information on sharps disposal from the Center for Disease Control.

   

• Can I recycle the disassembled syringe body or the Pod’s plastic needle cap in household recycling?

• The used syringe body and needle cap are classified as medical waste and should not be placed in general household recycling. Syringes should be placed in a sharps container and disposed of according to local waste disposal regulations. You can obtain local information on sharps disposal from the Center for Disease Control.