What Cyclamed does

Cyclamed is a French non-profit eco-organization (association \u00e0 but non lucratif) founded in 1993 and approved by French public authorities, operating the national collection and energy recovery program for Unused Medicines (MNU) for human use. It aggregates the entire French pharmaceutical profession, including dispensing pharmacies (pharmaciens d'officine), wholesale distributors (grossistes-r\u00e9partiteurs), and drug manufacturers (entreprises du m\u00e9dicament), and operates across all 22,000+ pharmacies in mainland France (Hexagon) and DROM-COM overseas territories. In 2025, the system achieved an 83% pharmacy collection rate.

Cyclamed's core technical infrastructure consists of NFX30507-compliant secure collection cartons supplied to pharmacies free of charge, a reverse logistics chain embedded in the daily delivery rounds of grossistes-r\u00e9partiteurs, and approximately 50 energy recovery units (UVE) where collected medicines are incinerated at high temperature to destroy active substances while generating heat and electricity. Approximately 9,000 tonnes of unused medicines are processed annually, producing energy equivalent to heating and lighting a town the size of Honfleur or Cassis. The carton specification and the end-to-end process are governed by a Quality and Safety Charter co-built with seven founding stakeholders (APR, CSRP, CNOP, LEEM, FSPF, USPO, and a seventh). Beyond physical collection, Cyclamed operates a citizen-facing digital surface that includes a medicine search engine, an interactive sorting quiz, professional communication kits, school educational materials, and multi-channel awareness campaigns on TV, radio, and social media.

Cyclamed operates under France's Extended Producer Responsibility (REP) framework, funded by contributions from LEEM-member pharmaceutical companies rather than by citizens or pharmacies, both of whom access the collection service at no charge. Its go-to-market combines national broadcast media, social channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram), a press and media office, and partnerships with mutual health insurers (Groupe VYV), primary health insurance funds (CPAM), and manufacturers (Sanofi, Teva, Viatris). The organization is lean (~10 employees) and is currently led by President Gregory Moses, who succeeded Thierry Moreau-Defarges in July 2025.

Name

Cyclamed

Legal name

Cyclamed

Website

https://cyclamed.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cyclamed is the French government-approved non-profit eco-organization founded in 1993 that collects and recovers energy from unused human medicines returned through all 22,000+ pharmacies in France and its overseas territories, funded by pharmaceutical companies under Extended Producer Responsibility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Waste Management

NAICS

Other Nonhazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562219)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Pharmaceutical Waste Management (RCRA/Non-RCRA, Take-Back) (BPALAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medication Disposal, Returns & Safety (Sharps/Take-Back) (HSABALAN), Medical & Biohazardous Waste Management (RMW, Sharps, Pathological) (EUAIAFAE)

Keywords

• Unused medicine collection
• Pharmaceutical waste management
• Eco-organization services
• Energy recovery waste
• Extended producer responsibility

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Extended Producer Responsibility (REP) contributions: Pharmaceutical companies (entreprises du médicament) finance the Cyclamed system as part of their Extended Producer Responsibility (Responsabilité Élargie des Producteurs) obligations under French law. Cyclamed is a non-profit eco-organization that collects and valorizes unused medicines at no cost to citizens or pharmacies.
2. Energy Valorization: Collected MNU are transported to approximately 50 energy recovery units (UVE) where they are incinerated at high temperature, destroying active substances and generating heat or electricity. The process illuminates and heats cities equivalent to Honfleur or Cassis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Cyclamed operates the French national collection and energy recovery program for Unused Medicines (Médicaments Non Utilisés, MNU), accepting expired or unused medicines returned by citizens to any of the 22,000+ pharmacies in France (Hexagon and DROM-COM). The collected medicines are placed in secure NFX30507-compliant Cyclamed cartons, transported by wholesale distributors (grossistes-répartiteurs), and incinerated at approximately 50 energy recovery units (UVE) to generate heat and electricity. The non-profit also distributes free professional communication kits, runs awareness campaigns, and provides digital tools (medicine search engine and educational quiz) to support proper disposal behaviour.

Product overview

Cyclamed operates as a unified eco-organization service centered on its national collection program for unused medicines (MNU) from pharmacies across France. The core offering consists of secure collection cartons (compliant with NFX30507 standard) provided to pharmacies, supported by a network of wholesale distributors for logistics. Complementing the core collection service, Cyclamed provides digital tools including a medicine search engine and interactive quiz, professional communication kits with downloadable posters and videos for pharmacies, regional communication materials for DROM-COM territories, educational games and resources for children, and a dedicated media space for press and communications. The product portfolio functions as an integrated system where the collection infrastructure (cartons), logistics network, and communication/education tools work together to achieve proper disposal and energy recovery of unused medicines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cyclamed National Collection Program The core eco-organisation service that manages the national collection and energy recovery of Unused Medicines (MNU) from pharmacies across France, operating under public authority approval renewed through 2027.
• Cyclamed Collection Cartons Secure collection containers provided free to pharmacies for collecting unused medicines from patients, compliant with the NFX30507 standard for infectious healthcare waste packaging. Replaced the older adhesive 'à détruire' system.
• Professional Communication Kits Free downloadable communication materials (kits, posters, videos, flyers, social media kits) for pharmacists, pharmaceutical companies, distributors, and local authorities to educate citizens about medicine sorting and proper disposal.
• Medicine Search Engine Online search tool on cyclamed.org that lets citizens check whether a specific product can be returned to pharmacies, supporting correct sorting of medicines, parapharmacy items, and other products.
• Cyclamed Quiz Interactive online quiz that helps citizens test and improve their knowledge of medicine sorting and become more eco-responsible in their disposal habits.
• Educational Space Educational resources for children including games (board game, snakes and ladders, maze, rebus, spot-the-difference), activity booklets, and educational videos explaining the life cycle of unused medicines.
• Media Space Dedicated press portal with press releases, annual activity reports, infographics, press dossiers, and multimedia resources for journalists covering medicine disposal topics.
• Official Documents Portal Repository for regulatory documents including activity reports, stakeholder committee proceedings, PPGD for overseas territories, specifications, agrément approval documents, and eco-design prevention plans.

Quantifiable outcome

• 83% collection rate of unused medicines in pharmacies (2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, minor and regional.

• CPAM PACA Corse and BelfortflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2026Cyclamed partnered with CPAM (health insurance funds) in PACA, Corsica, and Belfort territories to strengthen unused medicine collection. CPAM employees collect medicines internally under pharmacist supervision, and targeted SMS/email campaigns reach insured citizens who consume the most medicines annually. This aligns with the Assurance Maladie's Ecological Transition Roadmap 2024-2027. The initiative is planned to expand to other French regions.
• SanoficoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCyclamed and Sanofi joined forces to raise awareness about the proper use of antibiotics, contributing to the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
• Teva SantécoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTeva Santé partnered with Cyclamed as part of its CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) commitments to promote responsible disposal of unused medicines.
• ViatriscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerViatris launched an in-pharmacy awareness campaign in partnership with Cyclamed, emphasizing the importance of sorting and returning unused medicines to pharmacies.
• Groupe VYVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroupe VYV (France's leading mutual health insurance group) entered a committed partnership with Cyclamed to promote a more sustainable healthcare system, combining health insurance outreach with Cyclamed's collection network.
• Association BUMminorOthersCyclamed is a member of the BUM (Bulk User Movement or similar eco-association) association, participating in broader environmental industry discussions.
• Association TULIPEcoreOthersTULIPE collects new medicines to respond to emergency situations (natural disasters, conflicts). Cyclamed provides information on the distinction between its own system and humanitarian redistribution, clarifying that collected medicines cannot be redistributed.
• Association PHI (Pharmacie Humanitaire Internationale)minorOthersPHI is a 40-year-old association working for access to healthcare in France and worldwide. Cyclamed collaborates with PHI in the broader ecosystem of pharmaceutical waste management discussions.
• Bassin d'Arcachon PartnershipregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to raise awareness and develop good habits to limit pharmaceutical residues in wastewater in the Arcachon basin area.
• ADEMEminorOthersCyclamed links to ADEME (Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Énergie) among official useful resources, indicating regulatory and policy alignment.
• CitéominorOthersCitéo is referenced in the context of Martinique's recycling center, indicating cross-sector collaboration on waste management standards and traceability.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stericycle: Large US-listed regulated waste management company operating medical, hazardous and pharmaceutical waste disposal services globally. Comparable as a scaled operator of pharma waste treatment, though broader scope than Cyclamed's pharmacy-anchored take-back model.
• Suez Healthcare Waste: Major European environmental services operator with medical and hazardous waste treatment capabilities, including pharmaceutical waste handling. Analogous to Veolia in the treatment/valorization leg of Cyclamed's value chain.
• Clean Harbors: North American leader in hazardous waste management, including pharmaceutical incineration at permitted facilities. Overlaps with Cyclamed in the UVE/treatment leg of the medicine take-back value chain.
• Veolia Healthcare & Hazardous Waste: Global environmental services group operating regulated waste treatment, including pharmaceutical and healthcare waste incineration across Europe. Comparable as the upstream UVE-style treatment provider for medicine take-back.

Others

• Citéo: Leading French EPR eco-organization for household packaging waste, financed by consumer-goods producers under REP. Operates the same regulatory eco-organization model as Cyclamed and is explicitly referenced in Cyclamed's materials as a partner/peer in Martinique's recycling framework.
• ADEME (Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Énergie): French public environmental agency that supervises eco-organismes including Cyclamed. Comparable as the regulatory/policy counterpart Cyclamed must align with, rather than a commercial peer.

Direct peers

• Sigre: Spanish eco-organization founded in 2001 to manage the take-back and environmentally sound disposal of unused medicines through the SIGRE Sistema Integrado de Gestión. Operates the same pharmacy-collection, distributer-led reverse-logistics, and qualified-treatment model as Cyclamed.
• Returmed / Swedish pharmacy take-back program: Sweden's national pharma take-back scheme, structured as a producer-funded eco-system where citizens return unused medicines to community pharmacies and wholesalers handle logistics. Closely comparable European model to Cyclamed.

Emerging players

• Sharps Compliance / Sharps Medical Waste Services: US-focused medical waste and take-back solutions provider, including mail-back and kiosk-style pharmaceutical collection. Compares as a specialized player in medicine/sharps take-back adjacent to Cyclamed's pharmacy collection network.

Regional players

• Health Products Stewardship Association (HPSA) Canada: Canadian industry stewardship body managing post-consumer pharmaceutical return programs across Canadian provinces through partnerships with pharmacies and waste processors. Closest North American analog of Cyclamed's national eco-organization model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/cyclamedTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/cyclamed.france
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cyclamed
• Instagraminstagram.com/cyclamed_france

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cyclamed