Diabetes devices, including continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and insulin pumps, may significantly affect environmental sustainability and long-term resilience.
This observational study enrolled 49 adults with diabetes using CGMs, insulin pumps, or multiple daily injections (MDIs; three or more per day). Participants completed daily surveys detailing the types and amounts of diabetes-related waste discarded.
Of the 49 participants, 11 used MDIs and 38 used insulin pumps. Most were female (63%), were White (80%), had a bachelor’s degree (90%), lived in suburban/urban areas (86%), and were aged <65 years (78%). Average monthly waste was 2.7 lb for pumps and 3.1 lb for MDIs. Diabetes-related products contributed nearly 2% of household waste.
This study highlights the importance of improving recycling methods and reducing waste from diabetes devices.
Clinical trial reg. no. NCT06071325, clinicaltrials.gov
See accompanying article, p. 1155.
This article contains supplementary material online at https://doi.org/10.2337/figshare.28452170.
