Circular ID Card Holders

Client: Novo Nordisk
Collaboration Launched: Winter 2024 
Focus: Medical Waste Upcycling | Custom Product Design | Circular Production

At SMALLrevolution, we see plastic waste not as a problem to manage, but as a material with untapped potential. Our latest collaboration with Novo Nordisk demonstrates how industry-specific waste—when rethought with intention—can be reintroduced into everyday life as meaningful, circular products.

The Challenge

Novo Nordisk, a global leader in healthcare, generates large quantities of used insulin pens—single-use items typically destined for disposal. While critical to diabetes care, these pens contain valuable plastic materials with untapped potential for reuse.

We asked a straightforward question: What if this material could stay in use longer? What if it could come back into the system in a new form—one that supports everyday operations, instead of adding to environmental pressure?

The Solution

Together with Novo Nordisk, we developed a fully circular ID card holder made entirely from recycled insulin pens. Every step of the process—from collecting and sorting the plastic to production—is carried out locally in Denmark, in collaboration with our trusted network of suppliers.

The result is a practical, high-quality product that not only supports employee identification but also tells a story of reinvention and responsibility.

The Outcome

Launched in December 2024, the ID card holders are now in use across Novo Nordisk offices—proof that even the most overlooked waste streams can be transformed into objects with meaning and function.

This collaboration underscores what we believe deeply at SMALLrevolution: circular design is not a future vision—it’s a necessary shift, and it’s already possible today. With the right partners and a clear mission, waste can become a resource, and systems can be redesigned for good.