New Biobased Film Aids Sustainability Challenges Within the Biopharma Industry

Sustainability continues to be a pressing global issue impacting many industries. The biopharmaceutical industry is no exception to this, with current carbon emissions not yet aligned with a 1.5-degree world.

Biopharmaceutical manufacturers are battling a constant storm of aiding treatment developments in complex diseases while reducing their environmental footprint and complying with emission regulations.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is working to address this challenge, recently launching a new biobased version of the Aegis™ and CX5 film platforms that have been used extensively in biopharmaceutical production for decades.

Technology Networks recently spoke to senior director of research and development at Thermo Fisher, Dr. John Puglia, to learn more about the new biobased films and other sustainability initiatives.

Isabel Ely (IE): The topic of sustainability in bioprocessing has become a growing issue over recent years. What do you believe to be the biggest challenges manufacturers face when tackling sustainability?

John Puglia (JP): Biopharmaceutical companies are grappling with a combination of daunting challenges, from helping develop treatments for the world’s most complex diseases to administering critical therapeutics to patients worldwide. All while reducing their environmental footprint and complying with expanding emissions regulations across the world.

The rising demand for critical therapeutics has had a significant adverse impact on the environment. The (bio)pharma sectors send more than 30,000 tons of single-use products to landfills each year, contributing 193 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2022 alone. 

While exploring solutions to these sustainability challenges, manufacturers are also looking for ways to reduce capital costs, increase flexibility and productivity and utilize solutions that can be quickly scaled up or down, allowing for rapid changes in production volumes. Additionally, manufacturers are contending with rising production costs due to high inflation rates and disruptions in the supply chain. Therefore, biomanufacturers are focused on implementing solutions that enable them to cost-effectively scale-up production, while reducing their carbon footprint.

IE: Thermo Fisher recently launched a new biobased version of the Aegis and CX5 film platforms that have been extensively used in the production of biopharmaceuticals. Can you tell us more about this biobased film? What is it made from and how would they improve sustainability within the laboratory?

JP: Thermo Fisher is excited to introduce a first-of-its-kind solution that will enable our customers to achieve their sustainability goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Our biobased films are built on Thermo Fisher’s existing Aegis and CX film offerings that are already widely used and validated by customers. This will enable delivery of sustainability objectives without compromising speed, process and performance.

The new films are made using plant-based materials and the manufacturing process has earned ISCC PLUS certification, the globally recognized sustainability certification system for manufacturers producing biobased products. The biobased films feature the same performance as the plastic polymer-based versions, allowing biopharma companies to maintain consistency in their manufacturing processes while helping reduce or eliminate resin-based greenhouse gas emissions.

IE: Can you describe some of the ways Thermo Fisher has worked to create sustainable products and laboratories and support customers in achieving sustainability goals?

JP: Thermo Fisher is committed to helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals and milestones as they work toward meeting the global demand for critical therapeutics. We are innovating greener products across five key areas of environmental impact, including minimizing the use of hazardous materials, reducing waste and using fewer resources, increasing energy efficiency, responsibly packaging and shipping and extending the useful life of products and materials.

Our scientists continuously evaluate how we design, source, make, use and ship our products across the globe, as well as how we return, recycle or dispose of them at end-of-life. We also apply Design for Sustainability principles to product design, creating more sustainable options as part of our Greener by design™ portfolio of products to help advance sustainability and improve overall lab safety.

In addition to offering bioprocessing containers (BPCs) with biobased film, we help connect our customers with recyclers to enable the recycling of BPCs after use. This US-based program helps biopharma manufacturers divert their waste from landfill or carbon-intensive incineration, turning BPCs into high-quality plastic lumber. As a result of this program, approximately 400,000 pounds of plastic waste has been diverted from landfills or incineration. We’re also actively looking into additional ways to help eliminate waste from BPCs, including through chemical recycling.

IE: Do you envisage the biobased films fully replacing plastic polymer-based biofilms in the future?

JP: Yes, undoubtedly.  As the technology matures and capacity increases to satisfy global demand, a 100% biobased film product offering is possible.

IE: Which areas in science do you think still have room for future improvements and innovations? What can we do to encourage more sustainable approaches in these areas?

JP: Higher-temperature polymer options need to be addressed. With the current developments concerning perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (also known as PFAS) and their effect on the environment, changes have been slowed due to a lack of alternatives and understanding of the processing ecosystem. In most cases, a BPC is made of olefinic resins, so there is a need for resins with greater chemical and temperature resistance. Most decisions are driven by past experiences and available validation data, not based on the sustainability impact of using a fluoropolymer valve or tubing set attached to an olefinic BPC. I would like to see more efforts to develop equivalent polymeric ecosystems to support all components within a bioprocessing workstream where possible.

Dr. John Puglia was speaking to Dr. Isabel Ely, Science Writer for Technology Networks.

About the interviewee

Dr. John P. Puglia is the senior director of research and development in Thermo Fisher Scientific’s bioprocessing business focusing on single-use technologies. He holds a PhD from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell in polymer science/plastics engineering and has been awarded more than 50 patents.