From waste to sustainable wins: Rapid tests with biomaterials

Over 2 billion rapid test (lateral flow assay) kits are produced every year, adding tens of thousands of tons of used materials to the growing global volume of medical waste. Every test kit contains around 12 grams of plastic and is designed for single use. The company Okos Diagnostics, founded in 2022, aims to reduce the waste with a sustainable rapid test solution.

Sander Julian Brus elaborates in the MEDICA-tradefair.com interview how the selection of biomaterials to replace plastic housing of lateral flow assay kits led to the sustainable solution "ecoFluorecare".

Mr. Brus, what kind of biomaterials are used in the production of ecoFluorecare cassettes?

Sander Julian Brus: We experimented with different biomaterials to find the perfect replacement for the plastic housing of rapid tests. There are some important requirements for the material: the bio-based origin, compostability, and suitability for the process of injection molding. After fine-tuning the plant-based material formula and injection molding trials, we are now able to produce high volumes of eco-friendly cassettes for the in-vitro diagnostic industry.

The material mainly consists of agricultural rest products and complies with compostability standards (ASTM D6400 & EN12432). Next to this plant-based material, we also experimented with other innovative biodegradable materials like gelatin. It is important to have a material mix that the industry (IVD sector and injection molders) could easily switch to and is readily available now. For example, you may find a biomaterial that is super attractive from a sustainability point of view but if it is not injection moldable or degrades too fast, the industry will be reluctant to use it.

What advantages do these biomaterials offer over traditional plastics?

Brus: There are several important environmental benefits of the product compared to standard plastic cassettes. The first has to do with the origin of the material. Since we work with bio-based materials, calculations show that it would save up to 49 percent of carbon emissions compared to standard polypropylene, a fossil fuel product.

The other reason has to do with the end of the product life cycle. If a standard plastic cassette ends up in landfills, it will take thousands of years to get rid of it, and it will break into microplastic particles.

Lastly, since the material is suitable for injection molding, we can create all different shapes of cassettes. Together with an IVD injection company, Shengfeng, we can now offer an eco-friendly alternative in which the whole infrastructure within the IVD industry can remain the same.

What challenges did you encounter during the development?

Brus: Mexican product designer Luis Fernando Barrios, co-founder of Okos, designed the first biodegradable test kit in 2020. We recognized the problem of plastic pollution from diagnostics early on, and offered a solution made from cellulose pulp. However, we soon discovered that cassettes made from this material were not going to be scalable and affordable for the end user. So, there were several hurdles at the beginning regarding the search of the right material. The mass scalability factor is crucial and must be taken into account right at the beginning of the process. If the product is not mass scalable, it would not be a realistic alternative for the IVD industry.

Another aspect was to demonstrate that there is no compromise in the accuracy of the test. Although this might sound logical, since the housing protects the paper strip, it is important to take this into account.

In addition, the IVD industry must be convinced to follow a greener route. Because of the pandemic and the waste it generated, it became clear that this industry should take sustainability as a core value. For this reason, we are happy to work with Microprofit Biotech, an IVD company, who integrated our cassette in their product.

What are your future plans for ecoFluorecare in terms of expanding availability and potentially integrating further sustainable practices into its production lifecycle?

Brus: We aim to make environmental cassettes the standard for the industry. We want to collaborate with lots of IVD companies and add this sustainable twist to their products. The lateral flow assay market is expected to grow into a 27-billion-dollar market in 3 years, so there is a lot of potential for new products in emerging markets (tumor markers, hormones, infectious diseases).

In addition, we aim to replace other single-use plastic components of a test kit, for example nasal swabs. We already conducted a trial in which we replaced the plastic stick with bio-based materials. Step by step, we want to demonstrate that sustainability can be achieved by small, but smart innovations.

Considering the global demand for rapid diagnostic tests, how do you envision ecoFluorecare contributing to sustainable healthcare practices on a larger scale?

Brus: We want to focus more on developing countries. Since there is often a lack of central lab testing and a bigger presence of infectious diseases, it is a crucial market for point-of-care testing. Although plastic waste is a global concern, plastic waste is spiraling out of control across Africa. At current levels, enough plastic waste to cover a football pitch is openly dumped or burned in sub-Saharan Africa every minute.

How has the response been from healthcare professionals and institutions regarding the adoption of ecoFluorecare?

Brus: So far, the response of ecoFluorecare has been astonishing. We are so happy to actually notice that a lot of people in the medical industry, who are passionate about point of care testing, are at the same time so fed up with all the waste it generates. Therefore, they are enthusiastic about innovative solutions like ecoFluorecare. This goes for institutions all over the world but mainly in Europe, this enthusiasm is currently resulting in actual orders and partnerships. In Europe, there is a great interest in eco-friendly alternatives, and some European countries even rank sustainability as a factor in the process of winning a national tender.