Tackling healthcare’s plastic problem

Could we replace plastic with these medical-grade biomaterials?

Spotted: The desire for sustainability often needs to be balanced with other priorities. A clear example is the healthcare sector, where affordable, single-use plastics are used to maintain high standards of hygiene and patient safety, creating large amounts of waste in the process. One company working to solve this problem is BIOVOX.

Rather than relying on single-use items, the Germany-based startup has developed what it claims are the world’s first medical-grade bioplastics for healthcare devices and packaging. The materials can be used to manufacture things like blister packaging, surgical instruments, endoscopy devices, test tubes, and more. And rather than going to landfill, at the end of their usable lives, BIOVOX’s 100 per cent bio-based materials can be biodegraded or recycled into new products.

Manufactured under BIOVOX’ ISO 13485-certified medical quality management system, the innovative materials test positively for both biocompatibility and stringent regulatory healthcare standards. According to the company, its bioplastics generate 85 per cent less carbon than their fossil fuel equivalents.

Last month, the startup completed a €2.2 million seed funding round led by High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF). BIOVOX already has 50 customers, but with the investment now secured, it can now work on accelerating the development and manufacture of its bioplastic solutions.

Written By: Duncan Whitmore and Matilda Cox