Quantifying Environmental Waste from Diabetes Devices in the United States

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posted on 2025-03-12, 16:22 authored by Tiffany Tian, Cindy N. Ho, Alessandra T. Ayers, Rachel E. Aaron, David C. Klonoff, David T. Ahn, David Kerr, Anne L. Peters, Athena Philis-Tsimikas, Viral N. Shah, Emily G. Herndon, Yijiong Yang, Chengdong Li, Jing Wang

Objective: In 2018, the average U.S. individual generated 147 pounds of solid waste per month.¹ Diabetes devices, including CGM and insulin pumps, may significantly impact environmental sustainability and long-term resilience.

Research Design and Methods: This observational study enrolled 49 adults with diabetes using CGM, insulin pumps, or multiple daily injections (MDI, ≥3/day). Participants completed daily surveys detailing the types and amounts of diabetes-related waste discarded.

Results: Of the 49 participants, 11 used MDI and 38 used insulin pumps. Most were female (63%), White (80%), had a bachelor’s degree (90%), lived in suburban/urban areas (86%), and were under 65 years (78%). Average monthly waste was 2.7 pounds for pumps and 3.1 pounds for MDIs. Diabetes-related products contribute nearly 2% of household waste.

Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of improving recycling methods and reducing waste from diabetes devices.