A feasibility study shows disinfected lab plastics can be converted into reusable manufacturing raw material for new healthcare products.
Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) and Envetec Sustainable Technologies have completed a joint feasibility study evaluating whether polystyrene Petri dishes can be disinfected, processed, and recycled into new manufacturing raw material suitable for healthcare products.
The pilot focused on unused BD BBL prepared plated media as post-industrial material. In the study, plates and their contents were shredded, separated, chemically disinfected, and converted into clean polymer flakes using Envetec’s GENERATIONS technology. The flakes were then extruded into polystyrene pellets and molded into new Petri dish prototypes.
According to the companies, material property testing and molding feasibility were successfully completed.
The results suggest that polystyrene can be processed and reused in a manner that maintains properties required for manufacturing. The companies also reported that other common healthcare polymers—including polyester (PET), polypropylene, and polyethylene—may be suitable for similar treatment and reuse following disinfection and processing.
Envetec’s GENERATIONS technology uses what the company describes as a validated, low-energy chemical disinfection process to convert regulated medical waste into recyclable polymer flakes. The system is designed to process biohazardous and other regulated waste streams and render them suitable for downstream recycling applications.
Waste Volume and PFAS Scrutiny Add Complexity to Lab Plastics Recycling Efforts
For clinical and laboratory professionals, the pilot addresses a persistent operational issue: the large volume of single-use plastic consumables generated in microbiology, molecular diagnostics, and other laboratory settings. Petri dishes, blood collection tubes, pipette tips, and other items are typically disposed of as regulated waste due to contamination risk. Recycling options have historically been limited because of infection control requirements and material degradation concerns.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are an emerging concern across the healthcare and laboratory supply chain because of their persistence in the environment and potential health risks. PFAS have historically been used in a range of industrial and manufacturing applications due to their resistance to heat, water, and chemicals, and scrutiny has increased as regulators assess their presence in plastics, coatings, packaging, and manufacturing processes. In the clinical laboratory sector, attention is focused on whether PFAS are used in raw materials, production aids, or surface treatments for consumables and instruments, as well as how disposal or recycling pathways might affect environmental release. For laboratories, PFAS considerations may intersect with procurement policies, environmental health and safety programs, and vendor due diligence, particularly as sustainability and chemical transparency become more prominent in contracting and accreditation discussions.
Nikos Pavlidis, worldwide president of diagnostic solutions at BD, said, “Single-use devices made of high-quality plastics play a critical role in modern health care due to safety, ease of use and scalability, but we recognize the long-term impact that these materials can have on the environment.” (Photo credit: BD)
He added that the pilot “represents an important step toward enabling circular economy solutions for other high-volume healthcare consumables made from commonly used plastics, such as blood collection tubes, syringes and packaging.”
The study was conducted by BD’s Sustainable Medical Technologies Institute. The companies indicated they see opportunities to expand the pilot and further evaluate circular processing models for other plastic consumables used in healthcare and laboratory environments.
Envetec reports that its GENERATIONS technology is currently deployed in biopharma and life sciences facilities, hospitals, and food and beverage operations in the United States and Europe. The company is working with customers and recycling partners to develop pathways that convert treated laboratory plastics into recycled pellets and, where feasible, new plastic products.
For laboratories, broader adoption would likely depend on regulatory acceptance, validation of sterility and material performance, and integration with existing waste management workflows.
This article was created with the assistance of generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing.
—Janette Wider
