Mechanical Recycling of Post-Use Bioprocessing Plastic Containers
Complimentary
Learning Level: Intermediate
Time: 1100 - 1200 EDT
Session Length: 1 hour
Most of the plastic-based solutions used in bio-manufacturing are today incinerated after use, even the not “bio-contaminated”. Bioprocessing bags used for media and buffer preparation and storage represent the largest amount today. The aim of this collaboration work between Sanofi/Veolia and Sartorius was to technically assess the feasibility of the mechanical recycling of bioprocessing bags. Materials from different sorting ,and recycling strategies have been characterized, for their suitability for further use. Quantitative physical and mechanical tests and analysis (FTIR, DSC, TGA, density, MFI, color, tensile, flexural, and Charpy choc) were performed. The data show that these recycled plastics could be oriented towards second use requiring physical properties similar to equivalent virgin materials. A comparative life cycle assessment, based on a theoretical framework, shows that mechanical recycling for end of life presents the advantage of keeping material in the loop, without showing a significant statistical difference compared to incineration with regards to the climate change indicator.
Learning Objectives
- The objective of the webinar woudl be share the learnings of the research done by Sanofi, Veolia and Sartorius in the post-use mechanical recycling of Bioprocessing Plastic Containers.
- It will provide an understanding of the feasibility of mechanical recycling of single-use containers for the biopharma industry.
- It highlights the advantages of this approach, as well as comparing with other typical post-use solutions such as incineration.
