Marc Verbruggen, CEO, Emirates Biotech, explores the role of biopolymers in advancing sustainability in the medical industry.
As the world increasingly focuses on sustainability, the medical industry, known for its reliance on high-performance materials, faces a unique challenge. Balancing the need for sterile, reliable, and durable materials with the global push for sustainability is a formidable task. However, biopolymers, particularly PLA (Polylactic Acid), offer a promising solution, contributing significantly to the circular economy and aligning with the industry’s sustainability goals.
The sustainability challenge
The medical industry relies heavily on plastics for a wide range of applications, from packaging and disposable medical devices to surgical instruments and implants. While plastics offer unparalleled benefits in terms of hygiene, sterility, and cost-effectiveness, they also pose significant environmental challenges. Traditional plastics are derived from fossil fuels, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions throughout their lifecycle, from production to disposal. Furthermore, most of these plastics are not biodegradable, leading to accumulation in landfills and oceans, exacerbating the global plastic pollution crisis.
Biopolymers: A sustainable alternative
Biopolymers, such as PLA, offer a promising alternative to traditional plastics. Derived from renewable resources like corn starch or sugarcane, PLA is both bio-based and biodegradable, distinguishing it from conventional fossil-fuel-based plastics. The production process of PLA is inherently more sustainable, as it involves the fermentation of plant sugars to produce lactic acid. which is then polymerised into PLA. Lactic acid is very environmentally friendly substance and is also produced in our own bodies daily. The production process for PLA not only reduces reliance on finite fossil resources but also lowers the overall carbon footprint, as plants absorb CO2 during their growth, offsetting some of the emissions generated during production.
PLA is also biodegradable. Under appropriate conditions, PLA can be broken down by microorganisms into water, CO2, and biomass, leaving no toxic residues or microplastics behind. This property is particularly advantageous in the medical field, where single-use items cannot always be recycled due to contamination. These PLA-based products, could be anaerobically digested, to recover the energy, and composted in a second step, thereby lessening its environmental impact.
Contribution to the circular economy
One of the most compelling arguments for the adoption of biopolymers like PLA in the medical industry is their potential to be easily recycled. A circular economy emphasises the need to keep materials in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them, and regenerating products at the end of their life cycle.
Recycling PLA involves collecting, sorting, and reprocessing it into new products, thereby maintaining its value within the circular system. This capability is crucial for the medical industry, where the need for sterile, single-use products often conflicts with sustainability goals.
Applications in the medical industry
PLA biopolymers are already being used in various medical applications, demonstrating their versatility and effectiveness. In medical packaging, PLA is employed to create transparent high quality packaging solutions that maintain the necessary sterility while reducing environmental impact.
In addition to packaging, PLA is used in the production of medical devices such as sutures, drug delivery systems, and orthopaedic implants. These applications benefit from PLA’s biocompatibility, which means it can safely interact with the human body without causing adverse reactions.
Medical grades of PLA are ideal for temporary implants and devices that do not require surgical removal or self-dissolving surgical wire. PLA’s ability to degrade within the body to lactic acid, which is a body’s natural substance, makes it ideal for these applications.
Overcoming challenges
The performance of biopolymers in terms of strength, durability, and stability must match that of traditional plastics. Advances in research and development are continually improving these properties, making PLA a viable option for an expanding range of medical applications.