Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
complete disposable production chain. If designed appropriately,
single components facilitate source separation of different grade A
material batches (polyethylene [PE], polypropylene [Pp], polysulfone
[PS]). Only grade A wastes are suitable for material recycling.
Grade B = mixed fractions of different plastics or multilayer films com-
prising polymers or thermosets. Examples: Most connectors, transfer
systems, manifolds, tripolymer film bags. complete filtration car-
tridges, and most bag bioreactors. Up to 95% of the disposable compo-
nents of a single-use biomanufacturing chain is grade B material. This
fraction is suitable for energy recovery but not for material recycling.
Grade C = fractions with a significant amount (>5%) of nonplastic
material such as glass, ceramics, metals, and electronic compo-
nents. Examples: cell culture bags with sealed-in sensors, pumps
and pump heads, centrifuge cartridges, mixing systems, filtration
cells, downstream processing (DSP) units, and disposable sensors.
Grade C waste usually constitutes only a minor but increasing frac-
tion generally less than 20% of total single use system (SUS) waste.
If recycled or used for fuel production, grade C waste requires pre-
treatment (fractionating of plastics, metal removal). It is mandatory
to separate electronics and sensors from bulk wastes in the European
Union (EU) and in Switzerland to facilitate collection and recycling
of this material.
Liquid Waste
Disposable factories produce very small quantity of liquid waste, except for
used media, eluant from TFF, and downstream columns. The combined liq-
uid wastes for complete manufacturing chains typically contain only 2%-5%
loading of CIP agents (caustic, acids) compared with SS systems.
Incineration
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “incineration is a
widely-accepted waste treatment option with many benefits. Combustion
reduces the volume of waste that must be disposed in landfills, and can
reduce the toxicity of waste.” Incineration is a method of disposal that is used
in many countries, and some companies incinerate as part of their standard
