Building an injection pen recycling programme now covering almost 90% of the Danish market
Challenge
Millions rely on medical injection pens, yet their valuable materials often become waste. When Novo Nordisk launched returpen™ in 2020, they sought a partner to build a habit-changing communication platform. The goal: to engage diverse stakeholders, from pen users to pharmacy staff, making participation easy and consistently boosting return rates for injection pens in a groundbreaking recycling program.
Solution
Ogilvy partnered with the returpen™ team, working closely with Novo Nordisk and its founding partners to shape and launch the program. Through user insights and studies, we helped craft the core idea: "Too good to waste." This focused on simplicity, transparency, and the clear environmental benefit of giving materials a new life.Our collaboration included:
Brand & visual identity: Working with partners to create a clear, adaptable graphic universe and logo, centered around the universal recycling symbol.
Communication strategy: Helping design concise, positive messaging like, "Give new life to your injection pen. Most of the materials can be reused for other purposes."
Designing user tools: Creating practical, user-friendly materials, from discreet return bags and informative postcards for patients, to comprehensive guides for pharmacies and healthcare professionals.
Evolving engagement: We've continuously refined the program's communication and strategy alongside the returpen™ team. While initially focused on pharmacies and pen users, our efforts have expanded to include hospitals and a broader public affairs approach to further drive engagement and awareness.
This collaboration helped returpen™ grow into an industry solution, now backed by 7 pharmaceutical companies – Novo Nordisk, Lilly, Sanofi, Merck, GSK, Novartis, and UCB – covering nearly 90% of injection pens in Denmark.
Results
The initial returpen™ pilot achieved an impressive 20% return rate, exceeding the set KPIs. And we didn't stop there. Through continuous development of the program, we've driven return rates to 38% (12-month average as of November 2025), and as of early 2026, over 4.5 million used pens have been collected in Denmark in total.
